Supreme Commander: Koprulu Sector
by Guardian54
Summary: A signal from a probe lost for over a thousand years reaches Earth once more. The Coalition of Species decides to assist the Raiders in their revolution. WoL with SupCom Crossover, set slightly after my SupCom: Mass Effect fic, still lol!OP!Humanity.
1. The Sands of Time

A/N: Thanks to a certain idiot (yes, one-village-idiot, I speak of you), I have been persuaded to write one chapter of SupCom KS BEFORE I finish SupCom ME, so, here it is. Enjoy.

By the way, don't get too pissed I'm using SupCom 2 characters, they're not gonna be quite the same. (Rhianne still lives, the Seraphim Republics are a major faction of the Coalition, etc.)

* * *

Chapter 1: The Sands of Time

_Procyon, Cybran Capital World, 25 August, 3865_

"We get signal!" An excited comm. tech called out, as a Subspace transmission band lit up with a signal never heard from for over 1300 years, since before the fall of the United Earth Directorate and the rise of the Earth Empire.

Later surveys found evidence of a quantum temporal wormhole that had eventually stabilized and shut down between the point of origin, a sector of space just southeast of the Cybran Nation on the galactic map, and Earth. Apparently, the three colony ships the UED had sent out many centuries ago had been teleported over a thousand years forward in time, the date stamp of the transmission, just sent yesterday, clearly read the early twenty-sixth century as opposed to the thirty-ninth century. The UED fleet that had immediately been sent to reclaim the colony ships after they were lost had encountered the wormhole as it was dying down toward stability, arriving only two years prior to present and being eradicated by the local powers, unable to return home due to the disappearance of the wormhole.

"Excellent." All five of the Coalition's leaders agreed on this point, since no one knew what specifically had happened to those colonists, the whole thing could have but thankfully would not come back to bite them in the ass. "Begin monitoring them and gleaning appropriate Intel immediately, officers, Coalition HQ out."

"Alright boys, let's get moving…"

* * *

_Coalition HQ, 29 August, 3865_

"So you're telling me they call it the Koprulu Sector, it's dominated by a tyrannical Terran Dominion, and the best chance for a peaceful and reasonable contact for now seems to be the organization known as Raynor's Raiders, which fights for democracy and rights of all Terrans?" President William Hall deadpanned "Does this not sound a bit… cheesy?"

"I agree with the president, it does sound stereotypical, what about these other organizations, the Umojan Protectorate or Kel-Moria Combine?" Elite Commander Dostya suggested respectfully.

"The assessment is that they are far too likely to turn on us. From what we have seen in the logs of the old UED probes, James Raynor is a man of integrity who would never, ever turn upon an ally. He seems to be a genuinely good leader who actually cares for his men, a rare breed, I daresay that the closest outside of you and Rhiza are the Elite Four" Ratheen, Prime Minister of the Seraphim Republic, nodded his head toward the two mentioned in respect. "I propose we send a battle squad and Hunter Squadron to meet up with these Raiders in a non-hostile stance and assist them in overthrowing this Nazi state that has emerged in the sector, as well as collect more data on the Zerg and Protoss races we have found out about from the logs and the black boxes of the ruined UED fleet."

"A sound plan, Prime Minister Ratheen, I think we should send Ivan Brackman, Dominic Maddox, and Thalia Kael on this expedition, who do you propose for the Seraphim commander, Prime Minister?" Rhianne inclined her head at Ratheen.

"Are you sure it is wise to allow Thalia Kael on this expedition? She does have ties with the late Evaluator Kael, Princess, perhaps you should reconsider." Brackman said slowly, looking at Rhianne with his holographic visage. "Though I do think Ivan and Dominic are quite ready to test their skills in battle…"

"I have tested her myself, she is sound and unshaken by the Order's lies, the Aeon Illuminate will send her on this mission unless you have any extreme objections."

"Right, Doctor, I've wanted to ask you, do Ivan and Thalia seem unusually close for mere friends in your eyes?" Dostya suddenly wondered out loud. "They sure do in mine, maybe it's your son marrying an Aeon you don't want." She mentally noted that it was their son, because she'd donated the egg, before smiling cheekily at the Doctor, who had holographically facepalmed.

"Since when was this? If it affects their performance, it needs to be stopped, but otherwise…" Rhiza holographically leaned toward the conversation while the other four leaders facepalmed.

"Can we get back on topic now?" President Macune of the United Nations of Drell said, tapping his four-fingered hand against the holographic table before him.

"Oh yes, indeed, so, Prime Minister, who would you suggest?"

"I'd definitely recommend Seth-Thauum; he's the best at working with humans and would be best for presenting a united front as the Coalition of Species." Ratheen said after hardly a moment of hesitation. "Not to mention his brilliance both as a Commander and as a strategist."

"Hmm, a sound choice" Rhianne said. "But is he not out on shakedown of the newest ships now?"

"The Heavy Cruisers? True, but he'll be done soon, and unless something else crops up, he'll be free to lead the mission after September 9, hardly a long wait considering we've already waited over 1500 years to hear from those colonists again." Hall said before the conversation moved onto other topics, such as the sightings of alien ships toward the northern border of UEF space.

* * *

_Coalition HQ, 14 September, 3865_

"I just had to say it." President Hall put his head down on the holographic table with an audible thud.

"Say what?" Macune asked.

"That 'unless something else crops up' part from two and a half weeks ago, at least we got a steamroller victory and good conditions even with the goddamned 'Citadel Council'" He made air quotes "interfering with the operation against the Turian Hierarchy." Hall's voice was muffled by the table

"Oh, you're talking about Seth-Thauum's reassignment…" Macune slapped a hand to his forehead in realization as Hall lifted his head from the table and glared at the other's hologram.

"Can we return to the topic? Which Hunter Squadron should we send?" Brackman's hologram said in his usual sagely way.

"Let's just send Seth's Hunter Squadron, once it's been outfitted with Heavy Cruisers, and let them take all their ACUs along with them on this mission. I believe General Seth should be the one to lead this mission, considering rank and experience." Rhianne spoke up.

"That sounds good, Princess, now let's go change the status of the 4th Hunter Squadron to 'Spec Ops - Unavailable'" Ratheen agreed.

"Are you sure it'll be a good idea to put a Seraphim in overall command of the mission? After all, human factions make up three-fifths of the Coalition, so we should meet them with equal representation, not make it appear as if the Seraphim Republic is the dominant faction." Rhiza frowned, leaning slightly forward into the now-private conversation between her and Dostya.

"It'll be alright, after all, it's just combat command, not Seth lording it over the other three or anything." Dostya said, also frowning at the thought "Now let's go back and help the Princess babysit those boys through this conversation, we don't need any more men doing stupid-ass things."

"Very eloquent today aren't we, Dostya?" Rhiza grinned before ending the private conversation and returning to the conference "you're right, by the way, let's go baby-sit the boys."

* * *

_Somewhere in the Koprulu Sector, 17 November, 3866_

The Coalition stealth probe that had burrowed into the surface of the small asteroid picked up something on its passive subspace sensors. It then swivelled its array of active sensors toward the source of the disturbance, an 800-meter long capital ship that had just warped into orbit. Silently, the machine engaged its cloaking systems before it could be detected and destroyed.

* * *

_Hyperion Bridge, same time_

"Something just blipped on the EM, sir." Matt Horner reported, James Raynor nodded at his second-in-command "I have a feeling that asteroid is not as it seems sir, perhaps we should look for another one."

"Matt, we don't have enough resources, that asteroid has a crapload of mineral deposits on it, unusually rich mineral deposits, in addition to a vespene geyser. We need the stuff that's on that particular asteroid, the other nearby systems are all at least somewhat depleted by Protoss and Zerg seesawing through this region of space." Raynor said, sighing "I just hope that whatever's down there isn't too bad, we're pretty much down to Marines and Medics for what we can equip ourselves, all the vehicles are scavenged or stolen… we can't let this pass us by, Matt."

"Well, that makes sense, sir, deploying SCVs and a Command Center now." The prefabricated building was dropped onto the asteroid after it had unfolded and expanded to its normal size, a bulky 50-meter dome that flew on thrusters. The SCVs inside quickly scooted out and began grabbing minerals as fast as they could while a pair of Medivac Dropships deposited some Marines to guard the small camp.

* * *

Seth looked on in his strategic display curiously as the Terrans, Raynor's Raiders, began mining the pale blue Liberiam Crystals (A/N: in several other string universes, the living crystals evolved into the material known as Tiberium instead of Liberiam) and the golden Higher-Density Liberiam Crystals. They used primitive-looking exosuits that were far smaller than even a Mech Marine to cut away at the blocks, using plasma cutters, and then returned them to the unit that had landed and apparently fully deployed, probably a transport of some sort. He then noted the guards, wearing marine exosuits that were far bulkier than Coalition Marine Armour without detectable structural fields or shields.

"So, what do you propose guys?" He asked the three humans assigned to his command, to quote Brackman during the briefing, it was "a glorified baby-sitting mission" as far as he was concerned, as this mission was expected to be absurdly easy.

"I think we should send them a communication by comm. buoy first before attempting direct contact, they're probably already jumpy from having to run from the Dominion so often." Ivan Brackman spoke up.

"I agree with Ivan, we need to be discreet, can't scare them off. The question is who among us will speak to them first." Thalia Kael finished, raising her green visor to reveal her face, patterned with the softly glowing paint Aeon pilots favoured.

Dominic shook his head, frowning. "I don't think it should be any one of us, we need to appear as a collective to present a unified front and not make the Raiders suspicious of us."

"Sound suggestions, let us greet them via comm. buoy as a collective, I'm prepping the split-screen comm. now, be ready." The other three nodded as Seth finished the preparations and hit the button to transmit.

* * *

"Sir, we have a subspace comm. signal from the surface, it's requesting a video communication." Matt Horner reported in alarm, looking at the transmission the comm. officer had flagged as suspicious.

"Patch it through, tell the boys to be ready to evac if needed." Raynor leaned back slightly in his command chair and put his hands together in front of himself.

"Understood sir…" Matt nodded, then allowed the transmission through.

"Hello, we come in peace as representatives of the Coalition of Species, we would like to talk to Captain James Raynor if at all possible. I am Seth-Thauum of the Seraphim Republics." The alien that was in the upper left quadrant of the screen began.

"I am Ivan Brackman, representative of the Cybran Nation." The man on the upper right, with noticeable implants, backed in a reddish backdrop, nodded as he finished speaking.

"I am Thalia Kael, here on behalf of the Aeon Illuminate." The woman on the bottom left, with distinctive glowing facial patterns, added.

"And I'm Dominic Maddox, of the United Earth Federation, or UEF" The man on the bottom right said. The bridge crew of the Hyperion had noticeably tensed at the "United Earth" part, before relaxing slightly as he finished with "Federation".

"I'm James Raynor, pleased to meet you, but if I may ask, we do not detect any settlement or ship on the surface, where are you transmitting from?"

"We are using a subspace relay; it has been engineered from the old designs of the 27th century, before new technology completely supplanted it." Thalia Kael replied.

"Wait, what do you mean the 27th century? It's only the 26th century CE now…" Raynor leaned forward toward the screen and camera with a worried frown. "Are you time travellers of some sort?"

"No, but the ancestors of the Terran of the Koprulu Sector were, there are some history and technical files you should see, may we transmit them?" Seth Sa-oom or whatever his name was said, raising a brow questioningly.

"Certainly, Matt, allow them to transfer the files to my console only."

"Aye sir." Matt decided it was better to trust Raynor on this one, this Coalition could be a great help if it came down to it.

"Captain Raynor, the Coalition government has sent me and my Hunter Squadron to assist you in your mission to overthrow Mengsk's little empire bit by bit, providing support whenever we are able. We ask nothing in return, only that, once the dust settles, the Koprulu Sector consider an alliance with the Coalition."

"That's the catch, isn't it? Well, anyone willing to help would be appreciated, but what exactly are you bringing to the table?"

"Ivan, you have control of the squadron's stealth generators, do you not?" Seth looked to one side, Ivan Brackman nodded in reply. "Turn them off."

"Yes, sir." Ivan Brackman made a short series of arm motions "It is done, sir."

"Jim, we're picking up at least eighty ship signatures holding position three hundred thousand kilometres off our starboard side! Two are close to the size of the Hyperion and a lot of the others aren't much smaller!" Matt reported suddenly as the tactical sensor screens came alive.

"That fleet is the 4th Hunter Squadron of the Coalition of Species, assigned to my command since its formation; it consists of one Battle Cruiser, one Escort Carrier, and four Hunter Clutches, each with one Heavy Cruiser, two Light Cruisers, three Destroyers, six Frigates and ten Corvettes. In total, we have 90 ships and 4 commanders ready to assist you in any capacity possible, if you'd like, we can demonstrate our abilities on that asteroid we're all orbiting." Seth-Thauum finished his exposition.

"You mean the one I have men deployed on, no thanks, I prefer my men to remain alive, thank you very much." Raynor replied.

"Do not worry, we do not mean destroying the asteroid, merely assisting your men in gathering the Liberiam Crystals." Thalia Kael explained.

"We call them mineral deposits, but that doesn't sound like a particularly bad name."

Thalia smiled before hitting a couple buttons "Hmm, deploying… now." An open area that would have made for a nice place to move the Command Center to after this mineral patch and the three nearby ones were done lit up with a ball of blue fire before the quantum fabric of space warped and a 36000-ton 60-meter tall humanoid dropped solidly onto the surface of the asteroid, the ripple of the quantum discharge blasting a shallow crater in the ground before the enormous machine began walking toward the nearest cluster of Liberiam Crystals. "I'm down on the ground, boys, starting work now." She began work on a T1 Air Factory and two T1 Power Generators, deploying a T1 Mass Extractor to help with the mass that the T1 Light Air Transport (a Vish, in this case) cost.

Then she set her engineering suite to cutter and cut the Liberiam Crystal formations from the ground with one swipe each. The Vish, upon finishing, flew over and latched on to the crystals, grabbing four full crystal formations in a single run and flying over to drop them off next to the dome-like Command Center of the Raiders' mining crew. A second Vish was already work in progress before the first had even picked the crystals up. By the time the second Vish was complete Thalia had moved onto another crystal patch and cut the crystals from the ground where they had sprouted, ready for the harvest.

The Raiders were staring in what could be described as slack-jawed awe as the massive transports lifted entire formations of minerals at a time and dropped them near the command center. "Uh, I must ask, where did that Air Transport come from? And how did you put up structures and a small base so quickly?" Raynor asked.

Ivan smiled from his seat in his own ACU "Thalia's ACU built them in the field. All Command Units are able to deploy structures and factories wherever they want."

"How do you deploy them, though, are they carried internally? I don't think that ACU, as you called it, has enough internal storage space to hold all the parts for that many buildings, or are they refined in the field?"

"We use mass extractors and power generators to supplement the ACU's power and energy generation. Nanolathing allows us to shape mass to be whatever we programmed into the nanolathe, so long as it is relatively uniform, not like, say, food or living matter." Seth told Raynor with a grin. "Would you like us to help transport the crystals you seem to be here for onto your ship?"

"That would be welcomed, to be quite frank; I did not expect to attempt loading whole mineral formations onto Dropships… I don't think they'll be able to handle it unless we refine them a little in the Command Center first…" Raynor shrugged.

"No problem, we can use our corvettes to pick the minerals up and deliver them if you don't mind, now, is that enough?" The two Vish transports had transported sixteen mineral formations already.

"Yes, it's more than enough, thank you for your assistance." Raynor nodded gratefully as two 150-meter, well-armed ships swooped down, picked up the minerals and moved toward the Hyperion, taking up positions to either side of the Battlecruiser.

"Not a problem, Captain, can we meet down at your main encampment? We'd like to discuss some of the ways in which we can help you."

* * *

"Now, let's go over it one more time, we can't do much for you in terms of installation warfare except for T1 Land Scouts for better mobility, and fire support, because our units tend to be far too large. However, any pitched or open battlefield, from the data you have given us, we can dominate if it becomes necessary. Aerospace warfare is also not a problem, and we can manufacture all the parts you'll need as well as giving your ship some upgrades should you so choose. You agree to these loose terms of partnership, yes?" Seth-Thauum looked intently at Raynor across the negotiation table.

"Yes, but I sincerely hope this doesn't come back and bite all of us in the ass when the time comes, Mr. Thauum." Raynor said.

"Just Seth, please, just as the others are just Thalia, Dominic and Ivan. The only reasons I'm in overall command of this assignment are experience and rank. May I call you James?"

"I prefer Jim. Seth, it's still kind of hard to believe those history documents you showed us… a wormhole, sounds like something right out of science fiction." Raynor shook his head slowly.

"Truth, by the way, do you want us to install a nanolathe aboard your ship? We'll have to give the power system an overhaul though to handle the mass fabrication needed though."

"Not yet, I want my chief engineer to take a good look at your stuff first, I hope you understand."

"No problem, it's perfectly normal, feel free to send him or her over."

"Rory, would you mind going with them to check out their gear?"

"No problem, Jim" The short, stout man nodded, rubbing his hands together "lead the way!" He followed Dominic Maddox toward his ACU, which was waiting next to a corvette that was parked on the ground, waiting for orders.

"I hope we can help each other achieve our goals, Seth, Thalia, Dominic and Ivan."

"So do we, Captain Raynor, so do we…"

* * *

A/N: Sorry it's a bit short, but the next chapter will fast forward us to the events shown in Wings of Liberty, as well as show a few of the benefits that came with working with the Coalition. However, don't expect said chapters to be out until I finish Supreme Commander: Mass Effect.


	2. Liberation of Mar Sara

A/N: Well, I just couldn't resist writing more SC before I went back to ME… so here it is, the second chapter.

* * *

Chapter 2: Liberation of Mar Sara

COALITION CODEX ENTRY: LIBERIAM CRYSTALS

Liberiam Crystals are a type of organic crystal that acts like a plant, leaching minerals and metals from the ground and concentrating them in aboveground crystal formations. This plant is known for returning its minerals and metals to the soil, or at least to its roots after it flowers, disperses its offspring into space via a still not clearly understood launch mechanism, perhaps by gauss acceleration of seed pods down the surfaces of the crystals… and dies. The most famous location in Coalition Space is the area known as Liberiam Battles, a region that can house up to eight commanders with its rich mass deposits and plentiful Liberiam Crystals, which are quite dense and provide plentiful mass when reclaimed. Note however that after dispersing its spores, the Liberiam plant will return most of its metals and minerals back to the soil, apparently a safeguard against depletion (A/N: In several string universes, the failure of this feature to evolve eventually led the Liberiam Crystal to evolve into what would be known there as Tiberium). The remainder of the crystals then self-digest and are leached back into the crust by rainfall or other geochemical activity.

A much rarer variety of the Liberiam Crystal is the High-Density Liberiam Crystal, which is a bright golden colour as opposed to blue, though the density is only one-quarter higher, the concentration of typically useful metals and minerals is about 40% higher than that of normal Liberiam crystals. This has been found to be the result of a homozygous recessive allele combination for both loci controlling the trait of compositional balance (four of the recessive gene). This variety seems to be selected against in the wild, because the minor reproductive advantage (slightly higher spore survival and dispersal) appears to be outweighed by the increased brittleness (vulnerability to impacts and load-bearing on ice worlds) and the fact that it is targeted more specifically by harvesters of the Crystals.

The Liberiam Crystal has been found on many worlds throughout the galaxy, going by many names. For example, the Terrans of the Koprulu Sector refer to it simply as "Mineral Deposits" or, for the High-Density variety, "Rich Mineral deposits".

Close relatives of the Liberiam Crystal include several other Crystals that gather minerals, metals, mass, energy, or some combination thereof, from their surroundings. The Khaydarin Crystal and all derived Crystals, such as the Uraj and Khalis, are suspected to be at least somewhat related to the Liberiam Crystal.

END CODEX ENTRY.

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, PLEASE REFER TO: "SERAPHIM WAR", "KHAYDARIN CRYSTALS", OR "TIBERIUM'S ANCESTOR?" (EXTERNAL LINK)

* * *

Mar Sara System, September 5, 3868

"After that two-year tour of the Coalition's domain… waiting for a good time to strike back at the Dominion, it's good to be back in the Sector" Matt Horner said, stretching and looking out from the Hyperion's bridge windows "Though the very idea of the Infinite War was pretty horrifying…"

Rory Swann nodded "Yeah, and that giant ship they called Sovereign was pretty freaky too, cut up the 3rd and 4th Hunter Squadrons quite a bit…" And it had shrugged off a Yamato Gun shot from the Hyperion without much trouble. According to their allies, their gun was only rated at 5000 damage according to Coalition standards, it had 40 kilotons of output, as was the case for the Coalition's 6000-damage weapons, but it was not nearly as directed, which resulted in the Coalition assessing it as a 5000-damage weapon against their structural integrity fields and shields.

"Hey guys, Raynor's ordered five marines to suit up and come with him, make sure everyone's alert, he had a bit of a bad feeling about the next couple days." The adjutant walked in the door. She had started life as an Artificial Intelligence, but now… the Cybran Nation had assembled her body of bio-synthetic fusion in addition to her electronic parts, hence, she almost looked like a normal crewmember. Almost. The clothing choices she made, or lack thereof, was the main difference between her and most of the female crew. In more glorified terms, she walked around in usually no more than underwear to help with interfacing with the computer systems of the Hyperion. Considering the sort of figure the Cybrans gave their prosthetic bodies, which were usually something to be proud of, this proved extremely irritating or in some cases interesting to most of the male crew for about a month, until a marine who tried to hit on her got zapped so hard his hand was numb for a week.

* * *

The news anchor they call Donny Vermillon was on UNN at the moment "...and in other news today, Emperor Arcturus Mengsk held a press conference commemorating the end of the so-called Brood War some four years ago. Our own Kate Lockwell was on the scene."

The screen shifted to a pretty young Asian reporter asking a question at the press conference "Emperor, the threat of a new zerg invasion is still very real - but instead of expanding our fleets, you've squandered trillions on hunting down has-been rebels like Jim Raynor!"

Arcturus Mengsk, in his "imposing" yellow uniform (Raynor thought it was like wearing a "kick my ass" sign around his neck) spoke up in the voice Raynor had long associated with betrayal "Jim Raynor represents a clear and present threat to this Dominion! He is an unscrupulous, lawless revolutionary bent on spreading fear and dissention across the sector!" Raynor looked down on the sheet of paper under his left hand, flipping it over and looking at the photo of the woman who would become the Queen of Blades "He and his ragtag band of miscreants have instigated open rebellion across six separate worlds" He looked at the green eyes of the photo's sole occupant, Sarah Kerrigan, they were so different from the orange glow he had last seen in the eyes of the creature that wore his former lover's face "and stolen vast amounts of Dominion weapons and hardware! ..."

Raynor pulled the Gauss SMG (or as most of his troops called it, Carbine) from his belt, feeling it activate in his grasp almost instantly. On-screen, Mengsk continued his blabbering. "I assure you, this criminal will be brought to justice... very soon."

He raised the gun toward Mengsk's visage on the bottom left screen of the three that were in Joeyray's bar "It ain't over till it's over, you son of a bitch." He pulled the trigger, twin penetrator munitions, as he'd set them to, travelling through the screen in a fraction of an instant, leaving twin spider-webbed cracks in the image where Mengsk's forehead and throat were, the image flickered and died. Raynor leaned back and activated his wrist computer. "Adjutant, are my troops ready yet?"

The Hyperion's adjutant replied "Your forces are prepared and awaiting your orders, Commander. Uploading tactical data now."

Raynor sat back "Good. 'Bout time we kicked this revolution into overdrive. Adjutant, what do ya got for me?"

The main display screen on his wrist computer pod came to life, showing the Dominion base they were about to attack "Dominion forces have set up a logistics headquarters in the town of Backwater Station. This has become the hub for all operations on Mar Sara. The Dominion recently pulled troops out of the city, and they are now understrength."

"Are the locals cooperating?"

"The people of Backwater Station are known to be anti-Dominion. But they lack weapons and organization."

"If I can take that headquarters away from Mengsk, it'll cripple him on this planet." Raynor stood up "Prep the Restorer, we're going in."

* * *

Flying over a ruined highway at just ground level, Raynor whispered "My God… what happened here? I guess the unrest was worse than we'd expected…" he shook his head.

"Probably a typical case of police state syndrome" Matt commented over the subspace comm. systems in the Restorer Gunship, which was carrying a Deceiver for stealth purposes. "Though it also looks kinda like a zombie apocalypse."

"You mean a Zerg attack? I sure hope not, for the sake of the colonists." The gunship flew over a wrecked bridge and landed, Raynor turned away from the strategic command interface "We're here, boys, everybody out!" He was first out the hangar bay door, the five Marines with him for the first stage of the operation following after him. Each man wielded a Gauss Chaingun as a main armament, replacing their old Gauss rifles, as well as a Coalition-issue Infantry Nanodart Launcher for longer-range anti-air or anti-armour duties. They had an assortment of weapons for other duties, the most popular being the Laser Battle Rifle and Phasic Shotgun.

The Raiders made their way down the main street quickly; bypassing the long chain of smashed-up and burning cars and trucks as their suit Omni sensors told them no life signs or anything that could be hostile were in the buildings. This was until they detected something up ahead. Quickly, the men opened fire on the two Dominion Marines, who spotted them and fired back with their gauss rifles. "Raynor? Kill him!"

The Gauss Chainguns used osmium darts with iridium coating for corrosion resistance, backed by an iron tailpiece with stabilizing fins to allow the magnetic fields to have a large enough effect on the rounds. In essence, the rounds were sabot rounds, designed specifically for penetrative power, unlike the high explosive round option. The Dominion munitions sparked off the Raider's shields (Courtesy of the Coalition tech now installed in their suits) while the Raiders' return fire tore into the enemies' CMC armour, which did not last long under the barrage of ultra-dense penetrators.

An annoyingly familiar voice came from a holoboard just beyond the bodies of the two Dominion marines "Keep a close watch on your neighbours. Dissent will only slow our progress."

Raynor levelled his Temporal Fizz Launcher "I'm getting mighty tired of seeing Mengsk's face! Blast it!" The Raiders opened fire and reduced the holoboard to scrap metal within seconds.

Just up the road, the Raiders came across another holoboard, which had enough time to activate (it was motion-sensitive) and get out "Korhal is the…" before it too became scrap metal.

"Where is everyone?" Raynor asked the dazed-looking civilian they found up the road, only getting the response of "My neighbours, my family…" from the man, who obviously had a case of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

"This is starting to look ugly…" Raynor muttered to himself as he shook his head and left the babbling man inside his house, patting the man gently on the back as he left.

The Adjutant's voice came through his comms as his strategic display moved to a point ahead of the insertion team's location "Commander, a large Dominion force is gathering on the road."

Jim grinned "Then it's time to call in that 'special delivery' we talked about, how about it?"

"Continental descending toward your position, it was hovering this whole time, should be coming in weapons range… now." The three Vikings that were in the air stood no chance against the large transport, with shields close to the strength of a Protoss Carrier's and four Flayer SAM turrets, with all still-traversable weapons from the transported units firing away at various targets. The Dominion marines that were on the ground were firing into the air at the transport, but to no avail. The rounds simply sparked off the shields, doing effectively nothing, as return fire from the Heavy Plasma Cannons smashed clusters of Dominion troops, the Tomcat Autoguns of the eight Mech Marines dealing with the other, spread-out marines.

The rather large transport (around 250 meters long) had been docked onto the underside of the Battlecruiser's neck with some newly-installed docking clamps, and it carried a standard anti-infantry complement by Coalition standards (a truly standard load out would have two Percival Armoured Assault Bots instead of the Mech Marines). Two Brick Armoured Assault Bots, a T3 Combat Engineer, a Serenity Mobile Heavy Artillery, and an Athanah Mobile Heavy Shield Generator made up the five T3 units the Continental was carrying, leaving the last ten clamps (The T3 Combat Engineer only took up two clamps) for a Deceiver and eight Mech Marines, which would probably be the most useful unless they ran into heavy firepower, as the others simply caused too much collateral damage with their extreme firepower.

After toasting a number of holoboards and troops, Raynor's men advanced, leaving the Coalition-supplied war machines where they had landed for now. "This is bad… Finally, THERE are the locals!"

A Dominion Marine yelled through a loudspeaker "You'll all be given meal when you reach the dig site."

The last civilian in line said "My brother went off to the mine last week. He disappeared!" before he tried to run for it.

The marine from earlier yelled "We got a runner!"

The man was cut down in seconds, as Raynor's crew watched from the corner of the road "They're shooting civilians, sending in the Mech Marines now." Raynor began tapping his strategic interface, projected from his chest holoprojector, with both hands.

The first of the eight ten-meter-tall, seventy-ton Light Assault Bots thundered around the corner, its advanced navigation systems preventing it from stepping on any of Raynor's marines. Its twin 70 mm Gauss Cannons, one per arm (termed "Tomcat Light Machineguns" in Coalition vehicle terms, go figure) sighted on two of the Dominion marines and blew them to kingdom come with one round each before switching to the next set even as it ran around at 80 meters a second. 0.4 seconds later, the guns were ready to fire again, before the Dominion marines scored even one hit on the Light Assault Bot. The other Mech Marines in line had wiped out the Dominion troops before they could do anything more than raise their guns and get off a few rounds, none of which hit the rapidly running machines.

Once the last Dominion marine had fallen dead, the Dominion APC was a smoking ruin and the civilians were saved (the rounds had been set to urban combat-civilian presence, so were much slower than normal, to reduce the shock of the sonic boom), Raynor checked up on them, ordering the marines to deploy medi-gel to treat the civilians that had been roughed up by the Dominion troops. "Mengsk has a lot to pay for…" he muttered

A civilian on the other side of the road shouted "Thank you Raynor! We knew you wouldn't forget us!"

A holoboard activated nearby, silenced in a pair of blasts from a Mech Marine, as they were labelled by IFF as Dominion property.

Another civilian's eyes lit up in recognition as he turned his head to look at Raynor, prompted by the first civilian "Marshal Raynor. Been a while since we saw you around here…"

"We're with ya, Raiders!" a number of civilians shouted agreement to the sentiment "Just lead the way!"

"Alright, men and women, please stand by the sides of the highway, we're bringing in the heavy firepower!" Raynor announced, the civilians followed the marines, who followed his orders. The civilians gawked as the two Armoured Assault Bots, Shield Generator, Heavy Mobile Artillery, Stealth Emitter and Combat Engineer thundered by. The Serenity Heavy Artillery's gun still pointed proudly into the air from firing off a shell into the distance from the town square, which had been responsible for the streak of light that had crossed the sky a few seconds prior. The rhythmic shaking of the ground caused by the passage of the 2600-ton Armoured Assault Bots (the Flak upgrade increased the mass cost slightly.) made many of the civilians need to grab onto each other and the CMC suits of the Raiders as the 40-meter machines thundered by. "We got those from some of our allies, now please follow once the shaking dies down enough." Raynor set his own suit to move ahead of the civilians while he controlled the war machines via strategic interface. "Don't worry, the boys are gonna leave something for you to kill, to avenge your families and friends."

"We got your back, Raynor!" A civilian called as they all fell in line, running behind the Marines while the sounds of high-powered weapons fire came from up ahead, and the ground shook with the explosions that racked Backwater Station.

* * *

"This… is… a restricted area… you insurgents are under… arrest." A Dominion Officer gasped out before a Mar Sara civilian broke a Molotov cocktail over his head, lighting the dying man on fire. A number of other civilians were torching the two holoboards in Backwater Station gleefully, once they'd finished, they lined up before the Raiders, who were handing out weapons and light infantry body armour, packed with supplies, to the populace

"I didn't think we could fight them. But we can!" A civilian exclaimed, putting the final straps of his new body armour around his sides, the rifle he was given already clipped to his side. The man looked down at the pistol that had been included with the leg armour and his new ammunition, including four grenades.

Jim Raynor smiled at the man and patted him on the back, saying "Now you've got the weapons and the resources to do it. Remember, Mengsk can only control you if you let him." Before he walked on to check on the rest of the colonists "I'll be back real soon, boys, just gotta deal with a little something of Mengsk's first…"

"I have a guess as to what 'Little Something' you're gonna be dealing with!" One militiaman yelled out.

"Oh? And what would I be dealing with?" Jim Raynor coked his head to one side, his visor depolarized to show his facial expression

"His dick!" The militiamen laughed as a body, along with a few of the marines, who snickered.

"Thank you, Captain Obvious, I'll eventually deal with that, but I have a question, how should I find it?" That got another wave of laughter "See you later, boys and girls!" He said before he turned and boarded the Restorer Gunship, the units that had come with the Raiders being picked up once again by the Continental.

* * *

The fly buzzing around the room did nothing to improve the decrepit state of Joeyray's Bar as Jim Raynor watched more of the UNN newsreels if only for a good laugh at the Dominion's lies. "This is Donny Vermillion, live from the UNN studios on Korhal. We've got a breaking story for you. Let's go live to our own Kate Lockwell, on the fringe world of Mar Sara. Kate?"

Raynor watched the ticker reel at the bottom of the screen carefully, sometimes, it was actually, shockingly, half-honest: "Prince Valerian opens veteran's hospital on Helios" seemed pretty interesting… considering most of those veterans only needed follow-up treatment because of what the prince's father did.

The scene cut to Kate Lockwell with the backdrop of the red soil of Mar Sara. "Thanks Donny! Rebel Jim Raynor has reappeared in a big way. He's attacked a Dominion depot near Backwater Station, seizing weapons and distributing them to the local populace." Well, at least she was honest, though the ticker tap also said something plausible "Korhal property boom will be short lived say analysts"

Donny Vermillion's voice came back on "Kate, I bet the locals are pretty nervous about having a notorious outlaw in their neighbourhood." Raynor didn't bother wasting his attention on the trash of a man, instead noticing "Tyrador tsunami relief operation enters new phase" and wondering if that meant enslaving the people in the refugee camps again.

Kate Lockwell opened her mouth again "Actually Donny, the people I talked to seemed really encouraged by the—"

"Thanks Kate! You heard it here first—Jim Raynor, terrorizing the locals on Mar Sara. When we return, are your kids using stim-packs?" Raynor laughed at this, it was so bad at concealing the Dominion's evils that UNN wasn't even funny anymore to the average citizen. To him, it would always serve as a source of entertainment.

Raynor grew serious once more "Keep talking pal. I'm just getting started." He turned his attention toward the wall bulletin board, focusing on one specific picture, his more-or-less reason to fight. He shook his head sadly "Sarah... sometimes I think it would have been better" He took a breath and closed his eyes "if you'd just died that day." He shook his head and turned back toward the bar.

The hydraulic door opened behind him, letting in a blast of fresh air. Raynor's hand began to drift over to the Gauss SMG he had on the bar top as the steady thud of CMC armour hitting the floor with each step rang in the bar. "Y'know, for the most wanted man in the sector - you ain't that hard to find. I had to see it for myself. Little Jimmy Raynor... the people's hero."

Raynor chuckled and shook his head, hand moving back to his bottle "Tychus Findlay... Nice suit."

Tychus chuckled right back after he'd opened his visor "Pays to be prepared."

"I heard they put you on ice. Life sentence. What, did they give you time off for good behaviour?"

Tychus gave a lopsided grin "That's right, old buddy. I'm a model citizen now."

Jim smiled and looked over at his old friend "So to what do I owe the pleasure?"

Tychus tilted his head to his left, looking at Raynor "Just a friendly business proposition. Do you even know what the Dominion are doing out here?"

One eyebrow went up "I'm guessing you're about to tell me."

"Digging up alien artefacts, old buddy. Your boy Mengsk has gone crazy for 'em. But I got a contact that'll pay top dollar for every artefact we...liberate from the Dominion." Tychus's cigar came down solidly on the fly from earlier, smashing the insect on the table.

"I guess I can hardly pass that up, now can I, Tychus?"

"Partners then. Sixty-forty." Tychus grabbed the other bottle on the bar, raising it.

"Seventy-thirty. My way." Raynor grinned "Feels like old times already!"

Tychus smiled and clinked his bottle with Raynor's "Old Times."

"Call me curious, but how'd you get out?"

Tychus shrugged "Well, I busted out of my cryo-freezer while they were transporting me to New Folsom. Oh, I musta' killed at least dozen guards with my bare hands..."

"Ha-ha. Yeah, I've heard this one before! But you left out the part where you walked on water, made off with the Warden's daughter!"

Tychus waved it off "Don't you get uppity with me, boy. I heard all about you becoming a big time freedom fighter while I was away! What happened, Jimmy - the war for truth and justice get too much for ya?"

Raynor frowned "I ain't licked yet, Tychus. And I promise you - Mengsk is going down one way or another."

"Good to know, buddy, by the way, this…" Tychus pointed one armoured finger at the other photo on the bulletin board "This looks recent. This your doing, Jimmy?"

The picture in question was of Mar Sara militia, wearing light infantry armour and wielding weapons, celebrating around a fallen Dominion Viking "Folks in these parts are ready to fight back against Mengsk." Raynor shrugged "Guess they just needed a little push."

Tychus nodded approvingly "You still take this whole revolution thing pretty serious, then."

Raynor shrugged again "Everyone needs a hobby, Tychus." He activated his chest-plate computer's holoprojector. Tychus's eyebrows went up quite far at this.

"That's nice armour you got there, looks lighter and tougher than CMC armour, and way better agility, where'd you get it?" Raynor always wore a suit of Cybran Heavy armour when not in CMC, the best thing about CMC armour was the space allowing Coalition engineers to pack in lots of upgrades, though of course the agility and speed were still far worse, and cover had to be larger, than for Coalition Marines.

"A few friends of mine, I'll explain later. Adjutant, how's the tactical data coordination for the next mission? The artefact?"

"Thanks to your actions Mar Sara is now in a state of open revolt against Arcturus Mengsk. Ex-convict Tychus Findlay has revealed that the Dominion came to Mar Sara to excavate an alien artefact. Seizing the artefact will strike another blow against the Dominion and generate funds from selling it to Findlay's mysterious contacts."

"Is that… your adjutant? But I thought they were AI? Not humans."

"Well, my allies managed to build her a bio-synthetic prosthetic body, so she's been experiencing the life of a human for over a year now."

"Well, whoever designed that body sure did a good job." The adjutant rolled her eyes but made no comment at Tychus.

"Careful, Tychus, last guy who tried to lay a finger on her had her zap him so hard his hand was numb for over a week, and he couldn't use it for the first two days."

"Ouch, that's gotta hurt." Tychus winced. "Hey, adjutant, can you call up the displays of the dig site?"

"Sure." So she called up the videos of the dig site.

Raynor raised an eyebrow at the holographic 2D screen's image of a run-of-the-mill base, with Command Center, Barracks, Factory, Supply Depots, and some troops "This old outpost don't look like anything special."

Tychus shook his head "Keep your shirt on, son. Dominion engineers have been digging out here for months. See that crane? They're getting ready to move the artefact they found off-world."The camera had just pulled back to reveal a mine shaft with a huge crane

"Well I'll be damned..."

Tychus shrugged, "See you gotta have a little more faith, Jimmy." He grinned his best innocent grin when Raynor glared at him.

Raynor sighed, then looked up at the Adjutant's image "Alright, time to give the Dominion a wake-up call. Let's smash that base and haul that baby out of there."

"Now we're talking!" Tychus clapped hid hands together, interlacing the fingers, as Raynor got up and he followed.

* * *

The Raiders did the simplest thing possible: Land all eight of their readily available Mech Marines (Seth's 4th Hunter Squadron was on-call but currently not in the Sector) along with a complement of Raiders southwest of the Dominion Base. This was out of line of sight of the Dominion Base, a plateau being between the LZ and the dig site, Raynor had the Raiders board the Mech Marines (each could carry up to 3 Raider Marines if they positioned themselves right) and scoot off in the direction of the dig site.

Before they'd finished boarding, the adjutant gave Raynor some new intel: "Commander, the Dominion is attacking the rebel base to the southwest!"

Tychus grinned from his spot beside Raynor at the strategic command interface in the Raiders' Command Center "Good! That'll keep the Dominion off our backs."

Raynor frowned "Those folks need our help, Tychus. There's no way we're leaving 'em to rot!"

"Well, whatever you say, Jimmy, by the way, where did you get these mechs? They look pretty nice, and also a lot bigger and tougher than the Vikings or Goliaths ever were."

"Yep, a good ten meters tall and seventy tons, dual cannons that are like a tank's, pretty nice for combat with civilians, but for real war, I have bigger toys. Got all the new toys from my allies."

"I gotta meet these allies sometime…" Tychus trailed off as the last of the Marines loaded up

"Alright, let's move out and take it to 'em! We've got to clear this area!" Raynor declared, giving his marines extra warning to brace themselves before right-clicking the strategic interface where he wanted the Mech Marines to go. They reached the Dominion line outside the rebel base in seconds and tore it apart in even less time.

"Those things move fast too, what was that speed, eighty meters a second?" Tychus turned to Raynor.

"You're still good at guessing speeds, aren't you? Right on the dot, eighty meters a second." Raynor ordered his troops to disembark, displaying the Raider emblem and colours. The rebels cautiously came out from behind the rubble they'd been using as cover, nine Marines and four Medics seemed to be protecting a large number of civilians from the Dominion. "You guys sure are a welcome sight! We're with you. Just tell us where you want us!"

"Welcome aboard, boys." Raynor told the newcomers. He then selected his mech marines and ordered them to follow the Raiders, Marines and Medics north, so as to not freak out the civilians.

The Raiders, on their way north toward the Dominion base, heard a variety of things, such as "Kick the Dominion's ass!" "Dominion can go to hell!" "Raynor's the man!" "It's Raynor's boys!" "Bad guys are that a way!" and of course "Go get 'em!"

The adjutant warned of the deployment of another unit type on the field "Warning: Dominion Hellions detected"

Unfortunately for the Dominion, by the time the actual assault came, the Mech Marines were doing the vast majority of the work, tearing into and through Dominion Marines with ridiculous ease. The Hellions didn't do much better, only taking a few shots before cooking off, and the lone bunker in the base could not stand up to eight Mech Marines for long. This wasn't unexpected, as by Dominion standards, the weapons of the Mech Marines were effectively assault cannons, and their armour tank armour. Also, the myriad upgrades Seth had equipped his gifts with helped a lot in keeping every Mech Marine standing.

Tychus wolf-whistled "I gotta get me one of those mechs, they're tough, powerful, and fast, what else can you ask for?"

"You'll see." Raynor smiled cryptically as the adjutant captured the crane in seconds with a T3 Combat Engineer she'd brought in. "Crane controls accessed. Decrypting security overrides. Crane control established."

"Beautiful, now let's reel that sucker in and get out of here!"

"I agree, let's."

* * *

Tychus pointed at the plaque and badge that hung on the wall in Joeyray's Bar "Oh man, didn't the Magistrate here know he was hiring an arch-criminal as his Marshal?"

Raynor swilled his vodka around his glass "Heh, he was counting on it. Guess my 'tough guy' reputation kept things nice and quiet 'round here. All the time I wore that badge, I never had to shoot anybody."

Tychus gaped indignantly "Well where's the fun in that?"

Raynor shrugged, and Tychus got the hint to change the subject, then he looked up at the poster of the Hydralisk Hunt "What's this? I heard them Zerg got burned out by them creepy Protoss a few years back."

Raynor shook his head and raised his drink to his lips "It's been four years, and they're still finding burrowed dens out in the wastelands."

"Well, a trophy like that's gotta' fetch a good price on the black market. Up for some huntin', partner?

A shake of the head "Knock yourself out, Tychus. Me, I've hunted enough Zerg for two lifetimes."

"What was it like, Jimmy, fightin' them Zerg?" Tychus had shifted his gaze to the large Hydralisk skull that was mounted on the wall

"All the scrapes we were in back in the day, all the narrow escapes…none of it compares to how terrible they are, Tychus." At Tychus's raised eyebrow "You don't know the half of it, Tychus. Maybe when you've killed as many of these things as I have, you'll understand."

"Maybe I will…" Tychus fell silent for a while, until he noticed a poster posted near the bottom of the bulletin board. He raised his eyebrow at the image of Raynor posing in CMC Armour with the words FIGHT FOR FREEDOM underneath "Have to say, Jimmy, you turned into a real impressive fighter. If I was ol' Mengsk, I'd be runnin' scared from you, too."

Raynor didn't look up from the bar "You really mean that, Tychus?"

"Nah. I was just kiddin'."

"Figures. Adjutant, what do we do next?"

The cybernetic woman replied calmly "With the artefact secure you need to wait for transport at Backwater Station before you can leave Mar Sara. Transportation is on the way. Caution is advised, Dominion security forces may succeed in tracking the artefact to the station."

"Well, let's get ourselves to Backwater, Tychus, I've had enough of this bar."

* * *

"I've got transport coming to pick us up, all we gotta do is sit tight."

"Don't sound too hard. I figure we earned ourselves a little R&R after all those years."

"Commander, I'm detecting a massive concentration of Zerg bio-signatures landing at the abandoned dig site."

"I shoulda known it! Damn you, Tychus!" Raynor punched his command desk.

"I swear, man - I didn't know nothin' about no Zerg!" Tychus raised his hands in a gesture of surrender.

"I meant saying that we were gonna have a break, you dolt! You NEVER say that sort of thing; or the universe will prove you wrong."

"Oh… okay." Tychus slumped to one side and rolled his eyes, shaking his head with a growing smile "should have known you'd fixate on the least important and most comical parts, after all, you were the one with all the jokes back in the day."

The adjutant continued regardless of their banter "Given their current course, the zerg will overrun this location within the hour."

"Hell... We gotta hold out long enough for extraction." Raynor brought up the map of Backwater Station, noting the two chokepoints the terrain offered "If we man the bunkers and hold those two bridges as long as we can we just might stand a chance. We're gonna have a real fight on our hands here."

Tychus shrugged "I been in plenty of hold-outs before..."

Raynor shook his head "Not against the Zerg, you ain't. Get all the civilians inside our perimeter and ready for extraction as soon as possible, call Seth and ask for help evacuating them and us."

"Will do, Jim, I'll lead the ops that go outside the station, if you don't mind."

"Sure, go ahead, Tychus."

* * *

A/N: Sadly, RTS games generally do not leave that much action space, mostly strategic combat, except for the covert-type missions (no extra troops), so the chapters aren't gonna be as long as SupCom: ME's chapters on average.

Probably gonna go past Agria before going back to SupCom: ME, now… to find a way to make this not completely overbalanced… Oh I know, Seth can be elsewhere for a number of missions, leaving only the one Continental's support forces behind for Raynor to use (shields and Deciever stealth are kept online by quantum uplink with the Hyperion's reactors).


	3. Resurgence

A/N: For the record, I changed the Timeline a little, note that SupCom ME Ch 2: The Gathering Storm has been edited, so it is perfectly plausible now for the Hyperion to have participated in the Battle of the Citadel just after its major refit and overhaul, and then, it needed another overhaul. Heh.

* * *

Chapter 3: Resurgence

Backwater Station, Mar Sara, September 7, 3868, 6:40 pm Local Time.

"The Zerg have reached this area! Get your asses into Backwater before you become lunch!" Tychus Findlay roared at the columns of civilians marching toward Backwater Station, moving over the bridges and lowered supply depots. They sped up noticeably, soon, the last of the civilians (or rather militiamen) made it into the Station, Findlay and his squad of marines covering their retreat from the first few Zerglings that dared approach, tearing them apart under a hail of Gauss munitions. The Raiders then ran into the station after the last civilians made it "Raise the supply depots Jim!" Raynor didn't respond, but the three supply depots that blocked each entrance of Backwater rose up out of the ground and locked down to keep Zerg out of their interiors. Two Bunkers filled with Marines, six each, flanked the Supply Depots at each bridge, completely blocking off the paths into the base. Two Missile Turrets stood proud on either side of the bunkers.

"By the way, Jim, your Raiders' equipment is pretty sick, where'd you got them?" The six-barrelled Gauss Chainguns had spat out rounds faster and at a higher rate than the typical Gauss Rifles the militiamen were now equipped with. The Raiders' CMC armour also had personal shields, unlike your average Terran unit, and was forged from an alloy Tychus was unfamiliar with, which was lighter and more durable than standard Marine Armour material.

"Same friends I got the mechs from. I'm assigning you four of the mechs for support when you go outside the base, I have a feeling you'll go outside again at some point." The four walkers moved over to Findlay slowly, to not cause too much shaking in the ground for the militiamen who were standing around Backwater, ready to defend the base should the defence line fall, and stopped a number of meters away. "They'll follow you at your pace. Send them ahead or order them around using the strategic interface I gave you earlier, but by default they will follow you when idle."

"Sounds fun, by the way, when can I get my armour upgraded to match your boys?"

"Later, after we get out of this place."

"Holding ya to it!"

After the first wave of Zerglings and a few Hydralisks began to tear apart the now-deserted town outside Backwater Station, the Raiders got a transmission from some rebels. "To anyone hearing this message, we're pinned down near Backwater Station! Please assist!" Judging from the transmitter's type and voice, it was a group of Marines.

"They're to the east, Tychus, you feel like going outside for a bit of fresh air?"

"Why the hell not? Lower the eastern supply depots, will ya?"

"Be careful out there, Tychus, your armour's not up to the standard of the troops you're commanding." The supply depots retracted into the ground "Bring those marines back safe!"

"No problem, come on, boys, let's roll!" Tychus led his men forward, opening fire on the Hydralisks and Zerglings that sprang up from their burrows as they appeared, tearing them down with minimal help from the Mech Marines.

The marine that led the group sent off a broadcast as Tychus's squad met up with the rebels "Thanks for the assist! We're with you, Raynor!"

Tychus noticed something on his strategic interface "Multiple air bogies detected! ETA: Right the hell now!"

"Mutalisks, just like last time, excellent!"

"What do you mean last time?" Tychus asked, firing at the Mutalisks with his Gauss Chaingun while the Mech Marines did their work with their own Gauss weaponry and the Raiders fired their Nanodarts.

"When we had to evacuate Mar Sara the last time around, that was when the magistrate allied with the Sons of Korhal to evacuate the civilians, the Confederacy had ignored the fringe worlds, just as the Dominion is doing now."

After the last of the five Mutalisks went down in an explosion of blood, Tychus looked around at his troop of Raiders, none had even been injured by the glaive worms the Mutalisks had spat, which had ricocheted and were now embedded into the sides of surrounding houses or the ground. "I gotta get myself personal shields like those…" he muttered. The Mech Marines (as Raynor had called them) were similarly without visible damage, the few scorch marks from the explosive glaive worms (upon the final bounce, a glaive worm's explosive power is so small the shields don't even activate…) quickly disappearing under self-repair protocols.

Tychus's crew had just escorted the rebel Marines into Backwater when another garbled transmission came through. "We need immediate support! Hostiles all around us. Is anyone out there!"

"Feel up to it, Tychus?"

"Did you even have to ask, Jimmy?" Tychus cracked his knuckles "Where are they?"

"Highlighting it on your display now, Tychus, happy hunting." A small arrow appeared at the edge of Tychus's HUD and when he turned his head in the direction it turned into an arrow pointing straight down at the point in the distance where the second group of stranded rebels were.

"Nice HUD system, Jim, thanks for the upgrade!"

"Don't mention it."

The squad battled their way through another wave of Zerglings before they could move out from their current location. When they reached the second rebel group's location, they were ambushed by a number of Hydralisks and Zerglings, needless to say, a seventy-ton Mech Marine had a hideously easy time running over a Zergling at 80 m/s or 288 km/h. When the Zerg were no more than puddles of blood and sometimes flesh and carapace fragments, Tychus approached the group of rebels with his host of Raiders.

"The Raiders… you're a sight for sore eyes."

"Yer welcome to join us, come on, we'll take you back to Backwater, follow us." The Raiders and the rebels fought off another group of Zerg in a literal running (or rather backpedalling) battle. This was excluding the Mech Marines, who were ambling along as slowly as they could and stopping once in a while to make sure they stayed behind the Raiders and Marines, to shield them from harm.

Tychus's troops entered Backwater without further incident, with the ETA on the evacuation ships still at 12:00. "Commander, this is Matt Horner. Just hold on! Cavalry's on the way!"

"Take your time, Matt. No rush! By the way, speaking of cavalry, where's the Continental?"

"It should get there right about… now! The Hyperion's still coming around the planet though, Sorry Jim, low orbit has its disadvantages…"

"Good, let's take this fight to the Zerg! Tychus, your boys should go get the third rebel group that just pinged us, get them back to base, then come over and watch me purge the Zerg hatcheries in this area."

"Sure, Jim, heading out now." The teeming horde of Zerglings held back by the chokepoint of the bridge surged forth when the supply depots dropped again, they were met by a line of four Mech Marines thundering over the bridge and of course over the Zerglings.

The Raiders that came through proceeded to cut down the few Zerglings still alive, aided by fire from the bunkers. Then the group effectively ran over to the group of survivors, firing at the Zerglings that burst from alleyways while on the run, reaching the survivors just as the Zerglings began to overwhelm the rebels. Tychus had to shoot a Zergling off one rebel's back.

"Thanks for the save, we're with you, Raiders." The rebels told Tychus, the group turned back toward the main road just in time to watch a host of massive war machines thunder west, including all four Mech Marines that had stayed at Backwater, along with two forty-meter tall monoliths and a couple other giant vehicles.

"Damn, those things look pretty sweet, wonder what the Zerg will think…" One of the rebels said.

"That would require brains, and as we know, they ain't gonna have brains once Jim Raynor marches those into that base south of us and blasts them."

"True that, which way's Backwater?"

"Follow me, we can watch the screens show the battle once we get back to Backwater."

A thunderous ringing boom and an enormous streak of green plasma passing overhead announced the Sonance Artillery on the Serenity Heavy Artillery firing into the northern Zerg base even as the units advanced into the western one. The ground shook rhythmically with the steps of the tall, blocky Armoured Assault Bots, and the rumblings of weapons discharges. Before the Raiders even made it to Backwater though, the rumbling and noises of distant explosions had died down.

The field was eerily silent when the Raiders reached and entered Backwater, until the loud boom of the third Sonance Artillery shell broke the reverie provided by the holo-screens and the men cheered as the last Zerg in the western base died under a hail of Heavy Disintegrator Pulse Laser fire.

"Well, let's go Zerg-hunting up north, shall we?" Raynor's words over the PA of Backwater Station were met with a wave of shouts of approval.

The Brick Armoured Assault bots were so wide they had to blast apart the short cliffs and walk over them to get into firing position against the Zerg. The weapons had swung about, only to find a mostly-wrecked Zerg base with two already-dead hatcheries (from four Sonance blasts courtesy of the Serenity Heavy Artillery) and a handful of still-functional structures. The Mech Marines, all of which had been assigned as escorts to the Bricks, kept the Zerglings at bay (even if by trampling) while the Bricks dealt with everything else, smashing down the Mutalisks and Overlords with their flak guns almost jokingly, the Athanah was almost useless, as the Spine Crawlers and Hydralisks didn't even make a real dent in the shield strength before being smashed into the ground. The Mutalisks were outranged and outgunned by the Bricks' topside Flak guns, which were identical to Burst Master and Banger guns, which after a few edits in AA technology had come out to be the top damage flak weapon, though the structure was also the one with the least health.

After smashing every Zerg structure and flyer in range, the Bricks again made their own path, but now _down_ the plateau into the basin the Zerg base was in. They smashed apart the few structures the Serenity had not dealt with (it had a fairly low firing rate, so it had only fired one more time) and killed off the remaining Zerg units with their Heavy Disintegrator Pulse Lasers. The Mech Marines dealt with the stragglers once the small tide of Zerglings and Hydralisks had been reduced to a few survivors from the short volley of Heavy DPL rounds.

The formation of Raider units then marched east up the ramp into another Zerg base area, completely unfazed by the three Spine Crawlers that lashed uselessly against the Athanah's shield. The Bricks began blasting holes in the Zerg base and units while dropping Zerg flyers with Electron Flak. The Mech Marines covered the Bricks, Athanah, Deceiver (which was almost useless for now) and Serenity from any units that got close.

Five seconds after climbing onto the plateau, the Serenity Mobile Heavy Artillery fired its gun almost horizontally, pointing center mass at the furthest Hatchery, the one receiving Minerals and Vespene Gas from the resource area to the east. The structure had a quarter of its mass blown away while units caught in the blast were vaporized. The profuse bleeding was slowing down quickly though, as the Zerg structure sealed off its injuries and began to slowly heal itself.

The Bricks had begun to run out of hostiles to target, and so were blasting away at the nearest Hatchery with wild abandon for a few seconds before the structure collapsed in on itself in a shower of blood. Several more blasts ensured it would never rise again unless rebuilt by another Drone. Speaking of which, the Deceiver provided sensor coverage of the ground (though the Omni sensor was only a kilometre or so range), allowing the group of units to ensure no Zerg escaped their notice.

One Mech Marine, beset by a horde of Zerglings that had run through the over-shield sphere and climbed onto it, hacking away at its "weak" shields and structural integrity fields, was forced to execute a standard manoeuvre for this sort of situation: Stop, Drop, and Roll. Suffice it to say that said Mech Marine left behind a trail of blood and carapace pieces. After that, the Zerg stopped trying to grab onto the Mech Marines in overwhelming numbers, the few that did grab on were swatted off, or rather, smashed against the armour and structural integrity fields of the Mech Marines, by swings of the arms of the machines. Any that climbed onto the Bricks were either removed by Mech Marine fire or by pulsing the structural fields in set zones, which threw anything attached to the exterior of a unit in those zones off with extreme prejudice.

The Serenity fired again as the second Hatchery on the plateau exploded in blood, and the last Hatchery, the one by the Minerals and Gas, suffered the same fate as its sisters, being vaporized in the second strike strike by the 6.5-kiloton TNT equivalent shell. The rest of the Zerg base went down pretty quickly after that, the population of Mar Sara cheered as the last Zerg structures went down three minutes before the projected evacuation time.

After the Coalition-issue units were back inside the perimeter of Backwater Station, the ground began to shake, as the civilians and units retreated to the armoured decking that covered most of the station's core areas, numerous Nydus Worms began erupting from the unpaved parts of the Station, having tunnelled through, bearing hundreds of Zerg warriors. One round from a Brick was sufficient to blast a Nydus Worm into bits of decomposing flesh and collapse its tunnel, burying the Zerg that were in it underground.

The Serenity's gun oriented far up and let loose a round that soared into the growing dusk, impacting far away but still glowing enough to be visible against the skyline in the west. The Mech Marines used their weapons to cut down any Zerg units that managed to get out of the Nydus Worms, while the Bricks kept blasting the multitude of Nydus Worms that appeared in the base. The Raiders, for they were no simple Marines considering their equipment and training, manning the bunkers busily cut down those Zerg that came from the Nydus Worms outside the Station. The Bricks helped whenever possible, leaving vast holes in the Zerg lines that were eventually filled in by more warriors.

"Almost reminds me of those videos of ACU warfare Seth showed me." Raynor remarked. "Matt should be here right about… now."

As if on cue, a shower of missiles, in this case from Loa Tactical Missile Racks, poured down from the large capital ship. Each missile had a payload of 2.5 kilotons, and could split into three 0.5-kiloton warheads if hit by tactical missile defence. The rain of missiles coming down on the Zerg burnt them to ash as the Hyperion maintained a stately pace toward Backwater Station "Cavalry's arrived! Anyone still alive down there?"

Raynor chuckled and shook his head, same old Matt… "Good to see ya, Matt! Welcome to the party!"

"Glad we made it in time, Sir. Now let's get you boys outta there. Seth's sent a couple corvettes with transport trucks for the civilians; they're picking them up as we speak."

* * *

_Mar Sara, 6:21 PM Local Time._

The bridge hydraulic doors opened with a hiss and the charging of emergency atmospheric fields. Outside the massive holo-display "windows" a wing of Mutalisks flew toward the Hyperion, unleashing their glaive worms, only to be torn utterly asunder by the Electron Flak the Battlecruiser now boasted.

Tychus looked around the pristine bridge of the Hyperion with a cocked eyebrow "Damn, Jimmy, you've been holding out on me." He said almost to himself, while Raynor engaged Matt Horner in conversation.

"Cutting it pretty close there, Matt."

Horner shrugged "Never left you hanging before, sir." Even as Matt spoke, volleys of Zealot Space Interception Missiles as well as the Loa Tactical Missile Racks, in other words precision strike weapons, tore into what remained after the splash damage of the Flak took out most of the Mutalisks.

"Fair enough. Just get us the hell outta here!"

Horner raised his wrist and tapped a few buttons "Spin up the quantum jump drive, all hands brace for quantum jump on my mark!"

Tychus Findlay grabbed onto one of the handles that dotted the walls and console stations, just before Matt spoke "Mark!"

The Hyperion encased itself in a quantum bubble projected by the drive, gave it direction, and then abruptly dropped out of the quantum bubble when they were quite a distance away from Mar Sara. The Raiders and the civilians had lost nothing, the guns of the corvettes along with auto-turrets they deployed had kept the Zerg at bay long enough to load everything and everyone up. Seth would handle the civilians, taking them to Coalition space for asylum fro now, most likely.

Jim Raynor sat down in his usual command chair "What happened there, Matt? We haven't seen the Zerg for years. Why attack Mar Sara now?"

Horner shook his head sadly "It's not just Mar Sara. You need to see this." He opened up a news screen on the main holo-board "This is the newest stuff from UNN."

Donny Vermillion said "Zerg swarm launched a full scale attack" before the screen cycled through several reporters

"Devastation spread throughout all outer rim planets"

Kate Lockwell's voice came next "Sustained heavy losses"

Another nameless voice spoke as a body was zipped up in a body bag labelled biohazard "Casualties in the billions"

A redhead spoke into the microphone, the background featuring a military convoy "Minutes ago the Zerg attacked a Dominion research facility—" An explosion in the background cut off the feed at source.

Tychus Findlay shook his head slowly "Sweet mother of mercy…"

Kate Lockwell came on the feed again "New, exclusive video footage confirms the Queen of Blades is in fact leading the swarm!" The shot showed a humanoid figure with two skeletal wings growing from her back walking among ruins before she turned two glowing pinpricks of light—her eyes, toward the camera and the feed froze, a close-up showing the distinctive hair-like fleshy fibres, wings and carapace of the Queen of Blades.

Matt Horner squared his jaw before saying "We always knew she'd be back. But what's she after?"

Jim Raynor slumped back in his command chair "She's come to finish the job."

After a few minutes of silence, everyone suddenly very glad for the Coalition tech which had allowed them to follow the principle of "No Man Left Behind" on Mar Sara, Horner spoke again "There's no telling what the Zerg will throw against us this time. Sir, we need to make sure our hardware and munitions are up to the challenge."

Raynor had stood up by this point "Yeah, I'll check in with Swann down in the Armoury. Knowing him, he's already got upgrades for us."

Horner looked past Raynor's shoulder "I hate to ask, sir - but is there a reason that convict's still on my bridge?"

Raynor shifted from side to side "Easy, Matt. Tychus is one of my oldest friends. He helped me out of a real bind a few years back. I owe him."

"Well your friend has a criminal record as long as..."

Raynor pointed at himself and raised an amused eyebrow, tilting his head "Mine? Believe me, if Tychus Findlay wanted me dead, I'd be dead already."

Matt saw that there was no real point, Jim obviously thought it wasn't a bad idea to let Tychus onto the bridge, and he trusted Jim, that trust hadn't let them awry yet and wasn't likely to do so anytime soon. "Understood, sir."

"Thanks, Matt, hey, Tychus, something you wanted to say? Not like you to stay quiet."

Tychus touched one of the console surfaces, the shiny metal surface gleaming in the lgith of the bridge "One hell of a ship ya got here, Jimmy. How'd you get a hold of a floating palace like this?"

Raynor shrugged, looking up at the man that, in his CMC armour, was significantly taller than Raynor was "The Hyperion was Mengsk's flagship back in the day. Me and Matt decided to 'borrow' her when we parted company with him. This old baby's seen us through some tight spots."

Matt Horner had just thought of something odd "Speaking of tight spots, Tychus - why are you still wearing that suit on my bridge?"

Raynor glanced at his second-in-command, frowned in agreement, and turned back to Tychus "Yeah, what, did you bust the zipper or something?"

Tychus scratched the back of his neck "Ok, so I might've had a little help when I broke out of prison. Let's just say it came at a price. I get to stay locked up in this suit 'til I pay off all my debts…"

Raynor's eyes hardened slightly in alarm "And who's collecting those debts? Who sprung you?"

Tychus shrugged "Them Moebius boys, of course. I didn't just run into them in a museum, ya know. They want them artefacts something fierce."

Raynor frowned and shook his head "Your debts better not bite us in the ass, Tychus. Covering for your shenanigans ain't part of the deal."

"I'll keep that in mind, Jimmy."

"Good, now, Matt, just how bad is it?"

Horner shook his head, he seemed to be doing that a lot lately "Zerg are attacking all over the sector, sir. Mengsk pulled the fleet back to protect the Dominion core-worlds, leaving the fringe worlds to fend for themselves. It's a nightmare."

Raynor frowned, he felt he'd been doing that a lot lately "There's no way we can stop an alien invasion with one capital ship and a handful of volunteers."

"Best we just stay clear, partner. We can earn ourselves a fortune working for Moebius while this whole thing blows over." Tychus put in his own two cents.

Matt frowned "You don't get it, convict, this isn't gonna just 'blow over'! The Zerg won't stop until we're all dead!"

Raynor patted his second-in-command on the back "Don't worry, Matt, we ain't sitting this one out. But we're not exactly in tip top shape either. We'll earn some cash and build up our forces with any tech we can get so we can make a difference when it counts. How's Seth's help coming along?"

"Not all that great, sir, they're bogged down conducting a clean-up op killing Geth in the underground catacombs of some planet over in Cybran space."

"Damn…" Raynor noticed something "talk to you in a sec, Matt, Stetmann, what are you doing here?"

The researcher replied "Uh sir? Any chance you'll get the lab up and running again soon? That'd be great."

"Sure, no problem, as soon as that area of the ship finishes renovations." One bad thing about painting was that it left chemicals in the air that could interfere with experiments. Unfortunately, the renovations had been on hiatus ever since the start of military operations, as the marines who had been painting the labs out of boredom were suddenly not so bored anymore. "That it?" Stetmann nodded. "See ya, if nothing else is up, I'll be visiting Swann in the Armoury or in the Cantina for the next little bit!"

The hydraulic doors hissed open and Raynor stepped through the emergency atmospheric fields that were always online, to be greeted by his stout Chief Engineer "Hey everybody! Our glorious leader has returned! Hey man, what's up, cowboy?"

"What do ya got for me, Swann?"

"The usual—trying to upgrade our standing forces with better tech."

"Bringing my troops and hardware up to speed, huh?"

"Yup. You can add upgrades for their tech right here on the console. But building an army on the run ain't cheap. You brought back credits this time, right? We can't afford buying plans for new and improved tech without credits, at least, not Koprulu Sector tech."

Raynor put one hand on the console's hand-rest area "Look, I know money's been tight - but that artefact we just picked up from Mar Sara's gonna solve everything!"

Rory Swann shrugged "I've heard that before, brother."

"It's different this time."

Swann shrugged again "Yeah, I heard that one, too."

Raynor shook his head, and looked down at the console before looking back up at Swann "Upgrading what we got is all well and good, but when're we getting new hardware and designs that the Hyperion can actually build without using the nanolathe for every single thing? There are a lot of gaps in our inventory right now."

"Sometimes we take a job with some kinda new hardware and I get a schematic for it so we can make more of 'em, and adapt them with Coalition tech we've got. The plans for other stuff we gotta either beg, borrow or steal."

"Alright, Rory, what have we got? Not much for now, I see…"

"Yeah, better options will come by when we have better unit types, after all, we have exactly one type of infantry so far, Raiders. I just got schematics for a short-term cloaking system from the Coalition, you want to start refitting our suits with it?"

"What other things do we have to choose from?"

"Well…"

* * *

Raynor walked into the cantina and went up to Graven Hill "Guess you heard the news by now, Raynor. Looks like you're back in business."

"That I am, Mr. Hill. And fighting the Zerg and Dominion all at once is gonna take its toll on my standing forces. You got any guns for hire?"

"Well ya know, the invasion makes it a sellers' market right now. Still, your bartender over there makes a hell of a Mai Tai... So sure, I've got some mercenary contracts you might be interested in."

"You're all heart, Mr. Hill." Raynor decided to hire the devil dogs, they had enough money, and besides, getting all the best mercs in the sector on your side was always a plus when it came time to deal with getting more people under his banner against Mengsk. Also, if they were on his side, they weren't on Mengsk's side.

* * *

"Matt, anything new?"

"We've picked up a distress call from the planet Agria. There's a colony there under attack by the Zerg." Matt highlighted the planet on the star map in red, for urgency "Your convict buddy Tychus lined up a mission retrieving another artefact. It's on a Protoss shrine-world called Monlyth." He highlighted that planet in green, it wasn't so urgent. The rest of the worlds on the Koprulu Sector map remained blue with insignia colours denoting controlling faction.

"We're going to Agria, there is no way in hell I'm leaving colonials under attack by Zerg. The artefact, if it's on a Protoss shrine-world, will still be there, the colonists won't. Bring up all available Intel, Matt, we've got colonists to save."

"Aye sir."

The Adjutant's image popped up on-screen, caught in the middle of biting into a sandwich, causing her to freeze up mid-bite almost comically. "Uh, hello, Commander." Came out like "Uh, harro camunda" before she finished chewing, swallowed and continued with the mission briefing "Founded by renowned terraformer Dr. Bernard Hanson, the Agria colony has been one of the Dominion's principal botanical and wildlife preserves. I'm patching through the distress call from the colony now."

A static-filled image of a female scientist popped up on-screen "…any ships receiving this transmission...the Zerg are invading Agria… The Dominion abandoned us here… We're just a small farming colony… We've got to evacuate before we're overrun… If you can hear this message, please help us!"

"I'm plotting course for Agria, Captain." Matt Horner reported when Jim made for the navigation controls "It's already input into the computer, we just need you to give the go-ahead."

"Do it! All hand brace for jump!" Raynor paused and waited for everyone to grab hold of something, occasionally, people would lose their sense of balance for just a moment after a quantum jump, or stumble after a warp jump, so they had to brace themselves. "Jump!" his free hand came down on the confirmation button.

* * *

Tychus, Matt and Jim stood before the wall screen as it resolved into the image of a woman dressed in a lab coat "Thank you so much for responding to our distress call, Commander. I'm Dr. Ariel Hanson and I represent the people of the Agria colony."

"Pleasure to meet ya', Doc. You can call me Jim. What's the situation?"

"The Zerg have overwhelmed our planetary defences. The colony is lost." The feed showed Zerglings overrunning a line of Marines. "For the past twelve hours we've been evacuating people to the nearest starport." A somewhat defended starport was shown, with several colony ships ready to evacuate colonists "But the Zerg attacks have become so intense; we can't get any more through." It showed several APCs travelling toward the starport in a convoy, some along with their escorting Marines being caught and destroyed by Zerg forces. "If you can guard the highway, we can start sending the remaining groups every few minutes." With every convoy, fewer and fewer APCs made it, until every one that tried was destroyed by hordes of ravenous Zerglings and Hydralisks on the video feed.

Raynor gave a lopsided grin "Don't worry, Doc. We'll get your folks through to that starport safe and sound."

Hanson looked down for a moment and shook her head "I pray you're right, Commander. The Zerg are more terrible than I ever imagined."

* * *

The Restorer Gunship that dropped off the crew of Raiders under Raynor's control on the strategic view mowed down Zerg along the road leading to the main settlement of the colony effortlessly from the air. Not one colonist was killed by the Zerglings before the Restorer and the Raiders it dropped cut the Zerglings down. "I got Coalition-issue flamethrowers installed in the Raiders' suits; we've now got barbeque Zerg on the menu!" Rory Swann announced proudly.

"I noticed," Raynor commented dryly "No explosive fuel tanks, right?"

"Right and the flamethrowers are positioned on the undersides of the left arm, by the way, I'm leaving the other two arm spots open for other stuff." There were only three spots where things could be added to the forearms without hindering mobility much: outside the arms, and under them, the Gauss Chaingun took up the space under the right arm already.

"Nice, they're removable, yes?"

"Who do you think I am? Of course they're removable! It takes some work though."

"Good." Raynor nodded approvingly

"Thank goodness you're here. I'll give you control of the main buildings so you can help us evacuate the colony." Ariel Hanson exclaimed when the Raiders got to the base.

Raynor looked pensive for a moment "We'll need to escort the convoys all the way to the main starport for them to have a chance of escaping this planet." He ordered more Raiders drop down and receive their newest refits at the Barracks, which was attached to a Tech Lab, good; the refits could be done there.

After most of the Raiders were done their refits, Raynor opened a channel to Hanson "Doctor Hanson, I recommend your Marines join us in the barracks for refits, we have some better equipment we're willing to share with your Marines."

"Certainly, Commander." Ariel Hanson nodded on the view screen and command of the Agria Marines was transferred to Raynor, who immediately ordered them to the Barracks for refit. "The first convoy from Larks' Crossing will be moving out soon." Hanson informed him, he nodded in response.

"Don't stop for anything! Let's roll!" a colonist called when the convoy reached the settlement and picked up the first batch of evacuees. The three APCs began to roll down the road, escorted by a dozen Raiders.

They found a ramp down the cliff to the west of the highway a short way outside the settlement's perimeter. "Someone had the right idea building bunkers to defend the roads...but why are they empty?" Raynor questioned

Hanson shook her head before saying "The Dominion military abandoned them when the Zerg attacked, they didn't give a damn about the colony."

Raynor grunted, typical of the Dominion… "Sorry to hear that, Doc. At least these bunkers are in a good spot, I'll see if we can't get them manned." He ordered six Raiders into the bunker, but was surprised when he found only four could fit. "Damn, I forgot ours were upgraded, these sure aren't…" he trailed off as a hunting group of Zerglings began to run up the ramp on the cliff face.

A Raider yelled "The convoy's in danger. Hit 'em boys!" before the Raiders, bunkered or not, opened fire, and tore the Zerglings to ribbons with darts of osmium coated with iridium.

"It's a long haul to the star port, partner. How can we be expected to guard the whole thing?" Tychus wondered aloud.

Raynor shrugged "I reckon we can use a mobile force to keep it clear or build more bunkers to block the approaches, either way should work." The convoy was fighting off (more like mowing down) another group of Zerg that appeared from the east, at a junction in the road with a ruined bunker. "Or, we could just drop off the Continental's units and pound the two zerg bases we're detecting to mush, like we did on Mar Sara…"

"That would work too." Tychus shrugged "Do whatever you want, Jimmy, if you want me to lead a team of your Raiders, I'll be over in your frigate that's docked on the hull."

"Frigate? Oh, you mean the Restorer T3 AA Gunship we got from our Coalition buddies." Raynor ordered his Raiders to garrison a second bunker further up the road.

"I've been meaning to ask ya, what's this Coalition you keep on mentioning?"

"You'll see, Tychus, and I promise it ain't gonna come back and bite us in the ass."

"Alright, Jim, hey, sensors are detecting something up ahead near the spaceport."

"Hey, what's that?" A Raider commented upon seeing a pulsing ball of Zerg biomass.

"It appears to be a Zerg Chrysalis of some sort… if the video feed the Raider's sending is accurate." Hanson wore a look of concentration "It may provide samples that will help in research into why the Zerg came to Agria…"

"Alright, Raiders, pick up a sample and crush that Chrysalis into the ground!" Raynor ordered, and his men did as they were told.

"I put the bio-signature of the Chrysalis into my scanners, and we've found two more near the highway, odd… Perhaps they could give us more clues as to why the Zerg bothered with Agria… Labelling their locations on your displays now, Captain."

"We'll look into them." Raynor nodded, noting the close proximity of the two Chrysalises to the first two junctions of the road. Once the first convoy was safe at the starport, he ordered his Raiders back toward the colony settlement, on the way; he fixed up the bunker at the second junction in the road, the one leading east, and filled it with Raiders. He sent the other twelve Raiders east, cutting down eight Zerglings and two Hydralisks that were burrowed near the second Chrysalis before collecting a sample (the salvaging ability of the Raiders' suits put the sample straight into containment in the Hyperion's lab) and shooting/stomping the remains of the Chrysalis into the ground. The other Chrysalis to the west got similar treatment.

Hanson called again "Thank you, Commander; I am very interested in looking into those samples… if you would allow me to. Also, the next convoy is almost ready to go, Commander. Please alert your men."

Once the colonials had crammed themselves in the three APCs, one called "Get to the starport! Move it!" just before the convoy began to roll, the newest Marines called in from settlements further out trotting beside the armoured vehicles, there wasn't enough time to refit them as Raiders, at least, not yet.

* * *

A number of Overlords landed Zerg warriors between the first and second junctions, attacking the Marines and APCs as they sped up to try to get away, firing at the pursuing Zerg. "The Colonists are hurting! We gotta save them!" One Raider from the second junction's non-bunkered garrison yelled as the three Raiders outside the four-man bunker (salvaged and repaired) charged southwest. They had never been ordered to hold position, and Raynor's Raiders were always trained to assist friendly troops whenever able, instead of holding positions, unless ordered to hold.

The Raiders' Gauss Chainguns opened up on the Zerg that bounded after the fleeing APCs and Agria Marines, who were firing wildly over their shoulders at the Zerg. The line of Zerglings were cut through nearly effortlessly, two or three rounds all that was needed to take one down, nothing compared to the Chainguns' firing rate. The Raiders kept running toward their targets, the Hydralisks that were hopping after the APCs using their tails, firing off needle spines. They took more work from the Chainguns, but once the Raiders closed distance, they opened up with their new weapons in addition to the powerful Chainguns. Flames lashed out at the Zerg, already weakened by the Osmium penetrators. Wherever the carapace had thinned or been breached, the flames burnt through, cooking the Zerg inside their own skins.

Phasic and laser rounds joined the fight when the Gauss Chainguns became unwieldy for the close quarters battle. Spines and claws were deflected harmlessly by the Raiders' shields, which only collapsed when the Zerg were nearly done. One daring Zergling tried to jump and sink its claws into the eye-lights of a marine, only to find it scrabbling for purchase as the structural fields kept its claws firmly away from the helmet. This was seconds before several Phasic SMG (lovingly known as the "Plasma Carbine" among Raiders) rounds smashed it into pulp and expanding steam. One Raider lost fields just before the last Zerg, a Hydralisk, made a swing at him with its deadly scythes.

The claw, strong enough to slash into neo-steel, slashed down on the shoulder of the Raider's armour… and slid off without doing anything more than a shallow scratch. The Coalition had fought against kinetic-energy weaponry for thousands of years, so, understandably, their infantry armour was capable of stopping anything short of an early 21st century DU penetrator fired from a tank, _without structural fields backing said armour up_. The Hydralisk was meleed across the face by the pissed-off Raider and received a barrage of 40-mm hypersonic iridium-coated osmium penetrators to its face for its trouble. Its carapace shattered after the third impact and the Raider tore the internal organs of the monster apart with the fourth round, 0.3 seconds after the Raider opened fire.

The three Raiders turned back toward the fleeing overlords in the distance, outside line of fire of the Agria Marines' Gauss Rifles and their own Gauss Chainguns. The three exchanged a look and as one shouldered their Infantry Nanodart Launchers, their helmet HUDs automatically showing range, wind shear, other stats, and the locking mechanisms of the Nanodarts. As soon as the locks shone blue for confirmed lock, and the Raiders followed the targeting instructions, pointing their weapons up so the Nanodarts didn't hit the cliff face that was between them and the overlords, they fired. One second later, another trio of Nanodarts followed the first three up and over the cliff face.

A satisfying kill report scrolled across the Raiders' screens as the first three struck home, followed by another, and then another. Four Overlords died before they were finally outside lock-on range of the Nanodarts. It was a pity the cliff face was in the way and interfered with the locking, or more would have fallen prey to the Raiders.

"That was… wow, just wow." One Agria Marine said, shaking his head, they had stopped and watched the battle between the three Raiders, twenty-three Zerglings, and five Hydralisks (there had been more, but the APCs and Marines had had some effect before they were forced to run) from the safety provided by the second bunker on the highway, at the junction that led east.

"Meh, what can I say, Raynor's got good people as friends, so he's got good equipment." The lead Raider said, shrugging, as soon as the convoy moved on to the next stretch of highway, toward the third bunker, and the sergeant shut down his external speakers, he laughed while running alongside the Agria Marines who were escorting the APCs. "Man, did you see the look on those guys' faces?"

"Yeah, wonder what Hanson's gonna ask these Agria Marines to do, they seem like decent soldiers, and with some extra training should be able to handle Raider armour well enough." One of the Raiders responded, chuckling at the way the Agria Marines would occasionally look at them as if in awe.

* * *

While this was happening, the Zerg base to the east was being… well, the most appropriate term would be walked over. The Serenity had been dropped off near the first bunker on the road, where it provided fire support with two Sonance Artillery shells. The shells had blown apart (courtesy of advanced targeting systems) two Hatcheries from the inside, by dropping straight down the central maw-like opening of the structures (which was really for breathing) and detonating their plasma-based payloads inside. Expanding steam could do a lot of damage to an organic structure or indeed anything without shields or structural fields.

The Spine Crawlers were ignored by the Brick Armoured Assault Bots, which walked over them, their 2600-ton masses stomping the crawlers into the ground, two Mech Marines accompanied them and cleaned up anything they missed. The other six Mech Marines, under the shrunken (and concentrated) shields of the Athanah, used the Deceiver to methodically hunt down burrowed Zerg in the area while the Bricks were blasting the structures to bits and vapour.

The Serenity had long turned its guns northward, toward the Zerg base in the west, and had dropped five shells by the time the taskforce of war machines finished off the eastern base and got picked up by the Continental to be dropped on the west side of the highway. This was done to prevent damage to the road surface, as it was impossible for the Armoured Assault Bots to walk over the highway without creating large potholes that would have been too much of a bother to repair. This was because the Combat Engineer would detect nothing inherently wrong with the road, as its programming was still oriented toward performing repairs on Raider vehicles or the Coalition units. It would take some re-programming, and holding up of the next convoy, before all the potholes could be fixed, after all, there weren't any convenient intersections in the road, just three T-junctions spaced kilometres apart, which meant a lot of potholes if the Bricks walked on it. To Coalition units, the potholes would be nothing, but for the Agria Marines and APCs…

Another message from Hanson notified Raynor as to a new development "Commander, another convoy will be heading out soon."

"Don't leave without us!" The final few civilians of the batch ran after the APCs that had just started to move, they stopped and let the men and women in before trundling off again, the Marines that had just come back from the Spaceport escorting the convoy.

Matt Horner called out a warning to Raynor on the bridge of the Hyperion "Sir, we just detected Zerg organisms entering the upper atmosphere. I can't give you an exact fix but they're heading your way."

Raynor looked over from his strategic command console "No problem, the Bricks will help deal with them… after they deal with the western Zerg base." He clicked a couple more times, moving the units into position to attack. "That'll start right about… now."

* * *

Ariel Hanson was slumped back in her command chair, the command chair she'd been thrust into when the Zerg attacked Agria, gaping in shock at the displays. Raynor's Raiders were incredibly powerful infantry, and their machines of war… Wherever they got them, Ariel had never even heard of anything similar in the Sector. The forty-meter-tall boxy four-legged machines blasted apart Spine Crawlers in moments and razed Zerg structures that had proven so difficult for her men to the ground in seconds. The smaller bipedal walkers were less powerful but still deadly, cutting large swaths through the Zerg ground troops, the ones that weren't walked over, with their assault cannons.

The Zerg flyers fared no better, as the quad anti-air guns on the two monolithic war machines blasted them out of the sky with ridiculous ease, swatting many Mutalisks from the skies in seconds. Ariel remembered how difficult they'd been for the Marines under her command to deal with.

She checked the status of the last group of APCs, they had finished being assembled from the parts Agria Colony had stored, five of them, to carry the last of the Agria population to the Spaceport and the waiting Colony Ships "We're almost done, Commander. Another convoy will be starting out soon."

"Alright, Ms. Hanson, are you in it?" Raynor's visage asked from her screens

"I plan to be."

"We're sending a ship specifically for you, the Raiders will abandon the base and protect the convoy on its way to the starport, if you don't mind."

"Sure, I guess." She shrugged and put her bag of external hard drives back down on the grass, to wait for her ride

"Everyone's here, let's go!" the last civilians shouted as they looked back upon the settlement that had been their home for many years. Ariel, standing outside the command center, smiled as she watched the APCs begin to roll out of the settlement. Suddenly, she heard an odd humming noise from above, and as a shadow came over her, she looked up.

A shining white ship, forty meters in length and a little under half as tall, descended toward her and her Raider escort from the sky "Is that… the ship your Captain Raynor sent for me?"

"Yep, that's the ship!" One Raider said cheerfully "Come on, let's get on!"

"It's… big." She said before the airlock closed behind her and the other door opened, into the interior of the ship "I've never seen this sort of style, where'd you get this ship?"

"Like we've said, Captain Raynor has good friends who have good equipment." The Raider shrugged "We'll get to the Hyperion and get off before this ship helps cover your last colony ship away from the planet."

"What sort of weapons does this thing pack?"

* * *

Raynor had a bad feeling about this last convoy even as he ordered the Restorer to dock with the Hyperion, Matt, from his position a few meters from Raynor, proved him right "Sir, I'm picking up seismic disturbances closing in on your position. I think it's some kind of tunnelling Zerg."

"Wonderful, it's just like them to keep things nice and interesting, Nydus Worms, eh? Well, let's see how well they deal with 5200 tons worth of Bricks." He positioned the two Brick Armoured Assault Bots, one for each stretch of the highway for now, with two Mech Marines assisting each, the Serenity, Deceiver, T3 Combat Engineer and four Mech Marines bolstering the defences of the spaceport. The Serenity's first shell blew a number of Nydus Worms apart before they'd even emerged from the ground. The APCs had made it to the second bunker when dozens of Zerg Orbital Insertion Pods smashed into the ground and broke open around all three bunkers and Nydus Worms began erupting from the ground all along the highway.

Considering the firing priorities on the Bricks that were standing beside the highway was set to "Engage Strongest", that meant the Nydus Worms were first to be blasted into oblivion, more than half before they could even disgorge any Zerg warriors. The Mech Marines, being set to "Cull Weakest", engaged the Hydralisks first; simply curb stomping (literally as they were running along a highway) the Zerglings, which would either be run over or left in the dust, to be run over once the Mech Marines circled around. Only one Mech Marine took any real damage, and that was from stomping a Nydus Worm to death while it tried to snap back with its tunnelling apparatus in self-defence.

The Raiders in the bunkers helped deal with Zerglings and Hydralisks alike, since the Bricks were perfectly capable of handling strafing from even large numbers of Mutalisks. This was due to their near-absurd amount of structural integrity fields and armour strength alike, able to absorb anything short of a 60-kiloton directed yield strike without even completely losing fields. Also, the fact that Electron Flak was, well, very high-powered Flak, able to tear apart a 100-ton T1 Interceptor's fields and armour in two seconds, and Mutalisk wings could be slashed by _glass_ may or may not have had something to do with it.

"That's the last of them! Go! Lift off now!" Raynor shouted over the comm. to the captain of the last colony ship once all the Colonists had gotten onboard his ship. The Corruptors were closing in, their thick carapaces over buoyant bodies somewhat more durable against Falk than the Mutalisks' wings had ever been. The situation looked nearly hopeless for the last colony ship until missiles; laser and plasma fire began smashing the remaining Corruptors out of the sky. The Restorer and Continental had arrived. The Raiders and Agria Marines clamoured into the massive transport or the gunship, which were still pouring out fire from their Flayer and Zealot SAM batteries, as well as laying down a barrage of fire that held the Zerg at the ramp into the Starport. The Continental stayed low to pick up the units that were now preparing to load up. Once they were on, only the Light Assault Bots would be able to fire, a shame, but they would have accomplished their purpose here on Agria anyways.

The Restorer flew support, mowing down countless Zerg with its Quad Light Laser set to cyclic fire, stagger-firing the barrels, while the Continental picked up the ground units. The two vessels then threw their thrusters into high gear to reach the Hyperion in the upper atmosphere of Agria. Coalition fuel reserves had been greatly upgraded since the Seraphim War.

"We've lost the colony, but my people got out alive, thanks to you, Commander." Hanson said from her place in the Hyperion's docking bay as the Colony Ship jumped, and after she sent a final communiqué to it about her decision.

* * *

_Hyperion Bridge, 15:53 Shipboard Time_

Matt was grinning "Great job, sir. Dr. Hanson's offered to stay on with us for now and I think her skills will be invaluable."

Dr Hanson shook her head slowly "It's hard to believe I'm even here."

"Great to have ya, Doc. How are you planning on pitching in?"

"Well, your regular medical facilities are medieval, though your emergency aid is very good, and your science expertise is non-existent. Perhaps I could start there?" Ariel was being very direct, there was no way around the truth here anyhow.

Raynor winced "Ouch. Well I guess you might be able to teach Stetmann a thing or two. Welcome aboard, Doc." It was nice to have people who were direct, like Matt or Tychus, they got shit done. "Anything you want to talk about?"

"I've heard a lot about you, Commander. The Dominion always portrayed you as a criminal - a terrorist. There's more to you than it seems."

"Well, with the Dominion being what it is - someone's got to stand up for the little guy. It sure ain't going to be Mengsk."

"Doesn't seem like the Emperor cares at all. My people from Agria, and displaced populations from across the sector, have all fled to a refugee staging area on Meinhoff. There are reports of violence and disease spreading throughout the camps, but the Emperor's done nothing!"

"I'll look into it, Doc." He reassured her, what else could he say?" Oh yeah like that's such a surprise?"

"So, Matt, how are we doing after that battle?"

"The vast majority of the Agria Marines decided to sign up. They want to join our cause against the Zerg and Dominion." Horner cracked a smile. "Didn't lose a single man, the Continental's taskforce may have had something to do with it."

"Well, duh, good thing with the Agria Marines, we were always under-staffed." after a long pause "It sure felt good rescuing those folks, but there's millions more out there that need help too.

"We can't be everywhere at once, sir. The important thing is that we set an example and gave them hope. Every time we help folks in need it's another step on the road to a better future."

Raynor looked down at the ground "I know, Matt, but it's been four years and we're still no closer to bringing Mengsk down. Now with the Zerg back in the mix… Your better future needs to hurry up an' get here or there's gonna be no one left to see it."

* * *

"Hey Rory, how's the upgrades going?"

"Well, we've got some new gear from Seth's regular delivery corvette, I'm considering fitting them, but one thing, Jim, unless they've been properly instructed not to touch anything, Just keep those Agria Marines out of my armoury. That's a disaster just waiting to happen…" He shook his head.

"So, this time we got some dangerous-ass shit in our shipments, eh?"

"Well, to put it simply, yes."

* * *

Raynor had gone to the Cantina to put in a contract arrangement with Hammer Securities for mercenary work, no harm in getting extra mercs on your side, could be useful when it came time to fight Mengsk. He was also there to chat with Tychus "You meet Dr. Hanson yet?"

Tychus shrugged "Sure did. I asked that sweet thing if she'd like to give me a physical. No harm in asking, right? I think she's got her eye on some pansy-ass though."

Raynor's eyebrows went up "Yeah? Who might that be?"

Tychus shrugged and shifted from side to side "Oh I dunno, some white knight kinda guy, came charging down to save her colony, maybe?" He gave Raynor a hopeful look, complete with grin and two thumbs up, then slumped at Raynor's raised eyebrows "Damn, Jimmy, you never could read the ladies."

Contrary to popular belief, Raynor was acutely aware of what Tychus was talking about from the moment he said "white knight", but he didn't see anything there, no behaviour outside of normal ranges. So, he decided to pretend to be oblivious unless it became really obvious, in which case, he'd probably let her down gently.

The TV screen lit up with another UNN broadcast the Communications officer thought important enough to patch through "Donny Vermillion, UNN. We've got Kate Lockwell on remote feed from Agria, a fringe colony. Are you there Kate? Okay, we seem to be having a sound problem with - I'm being told Emperor Mengsk is going to address us directly? Let's take you to his announcement, already in progress."

Raynor rolled his eyes and decided to look at the news ticker "This is UNN with Donny Vermillion" _Did they even have to say that?_ "Meinhoff refugee crisis brings health concerns" _Hmm, guess Dr. Hanson wasn't exaggerating whatsoever._

Mengsk came on the TV, a white-armoured marine standing guard in the background "My finest military minds are being brought to bear, and it's my pleasure to announce that they'll soon be led by the hero of Torus himself, General Horace Warfield."

Raynor frowned, gesturing at the screen "Warfield? I thought he retired years ago." Tychus simply shrugged.

The news ticker had rolled on "Emperor declares new austerity measures" was worrying, before Mengsk spoke again "With General Warfield at the helm and our finely honed Dominion military under his command, I have every confidence that this new Zerg threat will be contained very soon."

"Yeah, good luck with that, Mengsk." Raynor sneered

Donny Vermillion's annoying face came on again "There you have it, viewers. With Warfield in command, the Zerg Swarm will be defeated in no time. Up next: Raynor ups his campaign of terror, just as the Zerg reappear. Coincidence? You decide after these messages."

"General Warfield begins 'Operation Burnout' to clear Sara system" on the Ticker was far more interesting than the shit Vermillion spewed, the transmission, at least the useful part according to the comm. officers, cut off after that.

Raynor downed his drink before turning to the armoured ex-convict beside him "So, Tychus, tell me about this artefact your Moebius buddies want us to pick up for them… how much money are we talking about from the job?"

* * *

A/N: In glorified terms, Raiders are the standard and near-exclusive infantry of Raynor's Raiders. A Codex Entry will come up soon that will detail some of their facts, abilities and skills. Combined with Coalition Tech, they can really kick ass, especially because CMC armour, though bulky and unwieldy, is REALLY spacious for upgrades and systems.


	4. Fanatics, Typical…

A/N: Indeed, Raiders are the workhorse unit of Raynor's Raiders, they are essentially all the infantry units rolled into one, and also make some vehicles redundant (i.e. Goliath, Hellion, Viking). About Ghosts, I think Swann mentioned a certain upgrade…

Also, the Continental's unit load will be all the vehicular support the Raiders would ever really need for a while, I think. Of course, Seth's 4th Hunter Squadron will eventually finish up with their work and join up, then…yeah. By the way, the difficulty here, judging from the unit counts I used for the Zerg and Dominion troops so far, is either Hard or Insane most of the time.

* * *

Chapter 4: Fanatics, Typical…

The Adjutant came on the transmission before Tychus could speak, having heard the request for information through the ship's internal monitoring systems "Monlyth was abandoned centuries ago, and little is known about the few Protoss who chose to remain there. These Tal'darim and their ancient shrines still remain a mystery to Terran researchers."

Tychus thanked the adjutant with a thumb up before speaking "The Moebius boys think there's another artefact on a world called Monlyth. Supposedly there's Protoss guarding it - a group of fanatics, call themselves the Tal'darim. Now don't get all sentimental thinking these Tal'darim are your old Protoss buddies... 'cause they ain't.

Tychus gave Matt a set of coordinates, and so Matt directed the Hyperion's Soothsayer system at a specific region of Monlyth, revealing a shimmering artefact in the middle of some sort of pedestal, with tall Protoss statues around the pedestal. Tychus gestured at the artefact "There it is, Jimmy, just like Moebius said. Easy money."

Raynor frowned, looking over the arrayed Protoss forces down there "I don't know. There's a lot of Protoss down there. We're gonna have to - what the?" A large number of Zerglings suddenly unburrowed and threw themselves at the first Protoss line

The adjutant decided to state the obvious, something Raynor either liked or was irritated by, either way, the adjutant would get a few laughs out of it "Warning! Multiple Zerg bio-signatures detected!"

"Ah, hell." Raynor watched a group of zealots tear apart the Zerglings while taking minimal damage themselves.

Tychus looked over at Raynor "Them critters were just hiding underground, waiting?"

"No idea. But you can bet they're headed straight for our shrine!"

"Well, that sure complicates things. We can't fight two armies at once, partner…"

"With any luck we won't have to. We only need to hold the area at the top of the shrine long enough to extract the artefact." He highlighted a mineral and vespene spot on the strategic display "So we'll land here and cut our way through the Protoss lines while they're busy with the Zerg. It's only a matter of time before the Zerg overwhelm the Protoss. We'd best grab the artefact and be long gone by then."

The adjutant told them "The Zerg troops severely outnumber the Protoss. It is likely the Protoss will fall shortly."

"Then we've gotta get that artefact before the Zerg overrun the whole place!"

* * *

After the Raiders landed a Command Center and some SCVs, they began to gather minerals and gas with which to build their current base. They'd landed a good dozen Raiders to start off. Tychus looked over the arrangement when the Raiders began to move out and frowned "Hey, you ain't gonna leave your base completely undefended are you, Jimmy?"

The adjutant came on the line again "Warning. Protoss Stalkers are gathering at our perimeter."

Rory Swann sent a message up to the bridge "I got something new for ya, Cowboy! Temporal Fizz Launchers! Just got them from the Coalition, like flak but also slows down enemies caught in the blast." The Restorer dropped off another dozen Raiders, newly refitted.

"I ain't sure this is the best time to be experimenting, Swann."

"Pfft. 'Best time there is! Let the new Raiders loose against those Stalkers and you'll see." So Raynor did. The Temporal Fizz Launchers completely negated the Stalkers' manoeuvrability while the Infantry Nanodart Launchers and Gauss Chainguns chewed away at their shields and armour.

The six Stalkers that attacked were cut down before a single Raider was lost, especially considering they took a while to actually come in range of their phase disruptors thanks to the time dilation (and slow-down) effect of the Fizz Launchers. During this time, the Raiders had free pot-shots with their Infantry Nanodart Launchers, ripping away at the Stalkers' shields, which shattered almost as soon as the Gauss Chainguns (and their own Phase Disruptors) opened fire. Then, the hypersonic rounds tore into the armour of the Stalkers at a near-ridiculous rate, fourteen kilograms of TNT equivalent in each one-kilogram dart. The Stalkers' armour strained under the volley of darts, then collapsed, while their Phase Disruptor bolts ricocheted off the over-shields of the Raiders or were simply absorbed, the shield domes rippling but holding against the impacts.

The adjutant called attention to the Protoss lines and the sorry condition thereof "Warning. Incoming Zerg attack wave detected."

Raynor headed out towards the west, intent on grabbing another Protoss artefact with his new Raiders, while the old ones upgraded at the Barracks, now with an attached Tech Lab. Who knew when that other artefact could become useful? Spine Crawlers and Zerg warriors at the small plateau in the west proved no problem for the Raiders, Temporal fizz Launchers slowing them and doing splash damage while the Infantry Nanodart Launchers provided Tactical Anti-armour. Gauss Chainguns and, rarely, flamethrowers, took care of the rest of the mess.

Then the group headed south, and cut through three Photon Cannons, two Zealots and three Stalkers easily. The medi-gel dispensers of the Raiders also dispensed omni-gel, which was used by the armour's internal Nanite Repair System to patch up any damage the armour took. Only two Raiders were even wounded, and once their companions covered them with their own over-shields to allow the armour's omni-gel and medi-gel injectors to work, it was no longer an issue. The Raiders then grabbed the artefact in question and called down the Restorer to pick them up. Using bombardment-mode Zealot SAMs, the Restorer took down a number of Overseers and Overlords before it finished the pick-up.

Unsurprisingly, the Protoss to the north got a short breather, until Spine Crawlers, using creep tumours for creep, began to pull a leapfrog on them. The Raiders had to go north to help beat back the Zerg attack before the Protoss were overrun, but when the Protoss tried to attack them.

"Fizz them boys! But leave them alive!" Raynor ordered them back to the base, where the next dozen Raiders were ready to get moving, having finished their upgrades. The Protoss were slowed down enough to give up the chase and go back to holding their line against the encroaching Zerg.

"Too bad the installation area seems too fragile to hold up those big boys you have."

"You mean the units docked on the Continental? Yeah, a shame indeed." Raynor shook his head "At least the Raiders are tough enough to deal with anything thrown their way."

"That's true, Jim, I'm going to Swann for upgrades, see ya later."

"Have fun, Tychus; try not to burn down the ship."

The Infantry Nanodarts allowed the raiders to blow the shit out of the Pylon powering the first two Photon Cannons before they could do anything (the Raiders were not within range of the Cannons). Without power, the Cannons shut down and became target practice for the Raiders. The next two Pylons, very poorly placed, were also easy targets for the raiders who were standing on the light bridge. Suffice it to say the two Sentries were blown to bits before they could drop their target Raider's shields, though the force fields were annoying and held up the Raiders for about twenty seconds. The next string of Protoss Structures provided much amusement as the Raiders were let loose to experiment.

The final consensus by the Raiders was that Infantry Nanodart Launchers were highly effective against Protoss Structures, Gauss Chainguns and the Temporal Fizz Launchers moderately so, and flamethrowers at best not very effective. This was almost opposite to the verdict they had achieved before (when assaulting the Zerg outpost) for Zerg structures, where fire was the most effective, and Nanodarts the least due to their lack of firing rate and spread (the more entry wounds, the more bleeding and the harder to repair).

After thoroughly "experimenting" with the Protoss base, the Raiders picked up another artefact, reclaiming it and transporting it back onboard the Hyperion into the containment cells of the science bay. They wandered east, so as to ensure nothing snuck up on them while they were extracting the artefact, and reclaimed another artefact before Raynor was satisfied with clearing everything out on the south side of the Shrine and approached the Shrine, his Raiders blasting two Sentries out of the way effortlessly, before they could even summon force fields.

"Well, there, that wasn't so hard, was it?" Tychus commented from down in the armoury, where his armour was still being refitted, having watched the progress via his HUD display. HE was standing in the 5-meter tall nanolathe alcove, as Swann had called it, while his armour was being refitted, according to Swann, if he could have taken it off, it would have taken about two seconds with this machine, but being stuck, he'd take a little over a minute standing in theis hole in the wall while it outfitted his armour with all the upgrades Swann had currently incorporated intot he Raiders' armour.

The three stone statues around his troops began to shake "What the… Tychus, never say that sort of thing again! It's taboo to say anything before the job's completely done!"

"Oops." Tychus could only say as he watched the Raiders come under fire from the statues. The statues were shooting beams from their eyes that lashed out at the Raiders' shields and armour, though the omni-gel injectors of the raiders ensured none of their comrades died, they did take some injuries, which medi-gel (and other raiders taking the fire with their still-intact shields) dealt with in short order.

The first statue fell backward with an almighty thud after taking too many Gauss Chaingun rounds. The Temporal Fizz Launcher man that had been taking care of it (read: slowing it down) picked his Nanodart Launcher off his back, and with the other Raiders turned his attentions to the second, southern statue. It took fifty Nanodarts to take down for the twenty-four Raiders, which meant a grand total of about four seconds, two for grabbing the Launchers, one for acquiring a target and firing the first round, and another for firing a second missile each. The third statue finally fell on two unfortunate Raiders moments later; just as the final line of Protoss defences on the north side began to fight the Zerg that had reached the shrine.

The Raiders pulled their unharmed compatriots out of the rubble with relieved sighs as they waited for pick-up, the Command Center and Barracks back at the base already having lifted up to be compacted and packed back onboard the Hyperion. The Bunker was disassembled, to be put up again at a later date. "I got a crew coming down to pick up the artefact!" chief engineer Rory Swann announced as the second Restorer the Hyperion carried picked the artefact and some of the Raiders up while the first picked up most of the Raiders. The SCVs were hitching a ride inside the Command Center, after disassembling and packing up the Refineries. No man was left behind, no casualties were suffered.

"We got what we came for! Let's high-tail it out of here!"

A transmission came through to the Hyperion, revealing a familiar face to Raynor and crew "I forgot how resourceful you were, Jim. I won't make that mistake twice."

Raynor frowned deeply "Kerrigan…"

* * *

Tychus Findlay turned the footage off at last, noticing Horner's reflection in the screen, he turned around "That's funny, convict, I don't recall giving you access to our database." Horner frowned and leaned forward as he spoke.

"Just keeping up on current events, 'captain'. Seems this 'Queen of Blades' got everybody running scared. She don't look so tough."

Matt Horner shook his head at the convict's words "You have no idea who she is, do you, Tychus?"

Tychus shrugged in his seat "Don't matter to me none."

Matt had turned and was looking out of the Hyperion's windows "Well it matters to Jim. They were...close once."

Tychus raised his eyebrows "Wait a minute…" he chuckled and turned the display on again, still fixed on the image of the face of the Queen of Blades "you're tellin' me they were shacked up?" His jaw was slightly ajar as he pointed his left thumb at the image of the Zerg woman, his cigarette threatening to fall out of his mouth.

Matt let out a sigh before he spoke "Apparently she was something else…" he looked down at the console he was standing in front of "Before the Zerg took her." He walked back to where Tychus sat "Turned her into that." He gestured at the screen.

Tychus Findlay nodded in realization "And Jimmy feels responsible."

Matthew Horner looked down at his feet for a moment before looking back at the convict "Honestly, if we have to face her again I don't know what he'll do." He spread his hands.

"Woman like that…" A jerk of an armoured thumb toward the screen, followed by: "there's only one thing to do." The cigarette, held between two armoured fingers, was pressed firmly to the solid-light hologram, between Kerrigan's eyes, as Tychus finished his sentence.

* * *

Matt Horner was concerned as he marched into the bridge of the Hyperion and found Raynor poring over a console "I caught Tychus hacking into our database, sniffing around about Kerrigan. I don't know what his game is, but we clearly can't trust him."

Jim shook his head "Matt, me an' Tychus ran together a long time, got into all sorts of trouble. When the law finally caught up, he took the rap for both of us. Never once ratted me out. I got a second chance, he got locked up."

"I understand your loyalty, sir, but…"

"I owe him, Matt. Leave it be. It's just a little data on the Queen of Blades, not like complete specifics on our armour or anything…"

"Yes Sir." Matt thought it over; it made sense, as any reasonable man would try to find out as much as he could about an enemy… and of course, Tychus was not stupid, nor was he completely unreasonable. "By the way, are you alright, sir? Confronting Kerrigan again after all these years…"

Raynor looked suddenly old and tired "We've gotta stop her Matt… no matter what she's after."

"Well, we gave her a setback today. The artefacts are obviously important to her, I just wish we knew why."

"True… now that you're here, I need to go check on Stetmann, see if he's done anything stupid yet."

"That would seem to be a good idea…"

* * *

"Hello, Dr. Hanson."

"Hello, Jim, please, call me Ariel."

"Well, Ariel, I've been hearing strange stories from the crew of late… unexplained noises, strange visions, voices in the dark. Rumour has it these things are haunted." Jim gestured toward the two artefacts spinning serenely in the containment field in the middle of the room.

"Superstitious nonsense! These artefacts are completely inert and they're contained down here in the lab. There is some trace radiation, but I don't see how they could affect things elsewhere on the ship!"

"Heaven forbid we run across alien tech that messes with our primitive little monkey brains. Just keep a close eye on 'em, Doc."

"Will do, Commander" Hanson nodded, going back to her console.

"Oh, Commander! Commander? Commander!" Stetmann was calling for Raynor's attention, so he walked over "I've been giving these artefacts some thought… Oh, don't worry, I know what you're gonna say, I haven't been running diagnostics on them or anything! Well, at least not directly, at any rate …" He looked down at his console.

Raynor frowned, this could be something serious if it got Stetmann this excited "Just spit it out, son."

"Well, sir, when the second piece was added? The ambient containment field spiked drastically. If we add any more pieces, we'll need to draw even more power from the ship's fusion core to maintain the field." The young man looked up at Raynor.

Another frown "So holding these things is dangerous and expensive. Well, the sooner we get 'em off my ship, the better. Anything else?" Stetmann shook his head "alright, see you later, Doctor Hanson, anything I can help you with?"

"I just wanted to ask… That Zerg woman seemed to know you. She really rattled you didn't she?"

"Me and her… well, we go back a ways. She was a Ghost, once. Back then we were hooked up with Mengsk and fighting to get rid of the old Confederacy. We made a pretty good team." Raynor smiled for just a moment before it faded.

"What…" a pause "happened to her?"

Raynor suddenly looked tired and far older than his forty-some years would suggest (Terrans typically could live up to 300 in the Koprulu Sector) "She was a casualty of war. No offense, Doc, but I really don't like to talk about it." He looked down and to the side, not meeting Ariel's eyes.

"I understand. If you ever change your mind, I'm here." Raynor suddenly had an ominous feeling Tychus may have been right after all…

* * *

"You know, convict, there are times when I really don't mind you accessing our internal security cams, I guess" Matt Horner said from behind Tychus Findlay, who was sitting in front of a console, watching and listening to Raynor and Hanson's little exchange.

"Yeah, really?" The ex-convict let out a sarcastic huff "Sure, man, sure. You gotta admit though, the way Hanson's fawning all over Jimmy, it's almost sickening."

"That's why I didn't mind it that much this time, good laughs, convict, now… he's leaving the lab, quick, get to the Cantina and pretend nothing's happening!"

"Relax, Matt, he's going to talk to Swann in the armoury." Tychus waved it off "Still, let's get back to our usual spots… you don't tell, I don't tell."

"Sure, convict, but remember, don't be too obvious about this arrangement, we need to make sure Jim isn't too focused on his Kerrigan troubles…"

* * *

Raynor looked up from his drink at the armoured ex-convict "Your Moebius buddies ever happen to mention that the Queen of Blades wants these artefacts too?"

Tychus quickly shut down his document on his holoconsole, projected from his chest plate "Hey, they just give me the missions, man. What's it matter anyway? Putting that bitch down would be doing everyone a favour…" he was hoping Raynor didn't notice the document name "101 Ways to Help Dr. Hanson"

Raynor looked sceptical "I thought it was just about the money with you, Tychus."

A shrug "Nothing' says I can't do my part for humanity and get paid well for my trouble."

Raynor's eyes rolled up toward the ceiling for a moment "Right, and UNN tells the truth."

"Speaking of UNN…"

"This is Donny Vermillion, live from UNN. Tonight we're going to discuss the infamous Queen of Blades. Scientists and military insiders have long speculated that the enigmatic alien is, in fact, an infested human."

Kate Lockwell came up on an inset screen "That's right Donny. Is it possible that the leader of the Zerg has a human heart?"

"More importantly, Kate, could this mean some kind of Terran-Zerg alliance is possible?"

Kate frowned "Donny, there's never been any evidence, at all, to suggest that infested humans retain their free will."

"You make a good point, Kate. The question is then, how do we kill her?"

"That's one I think we all can agree on. If humanity is to survive, the Queen of Blades needs to be eliminated, I suspect that if we pour enough ammunition into her, she'll die just like anything else." The screen winked out.

Jim facepalmed "Hallelujah, tell us something we DON'T know…"

Tychus looked back at his friend "Stating the obvious is the job of media people, or did you forget that, Jimmy?"

* * *

CODEX ENTRY: TEMPORAL FIZZ LAUNCHER

The "Temporal Fizz Launcher" is an Aeon-developed weapon derived from Seraphim Chronotron technology, this weapon's time dilation effects, applied only to objects of relatively large masses within the blast radius, and its splash damage has made it the mainstay of Aeon Flak units and structures. The splash damage is an effect caused by unstable time dilations, when not associated with an object of sufficient mass, time dilations will ripple outward a considerable distance before quelling themselves and rejoining the Space-Time Continuum without further effect. This, coupled with the plasma containment of the chronotrons in the round, has an effect akin to stretching and compressing target components, shredding the target with either structural integrity failure, plasma damage, or a combination of both.

This weapon is present on the Marr Tech 2 Anti-Ai Flak Artillery and Ascendant T2 Mobile Flak Artillery. It is not as efficient as the Cybran Electron Flak technology; however it can match up to the UEF Fragmentation Flak and Seraphim Flak technologies.

The weapon can be used against ground targets; however it is of limited effect as the payload is not very large and mainly only effective at all against hordes of small units such as Land Scouts or Light Assault Bots. Though it has recently been refined to be able to slow down enemy units, most Coalition units can overcharge their servos and overcome the effect with minimal difficulty, thus this weapon is usually classed as an anti-air weapon. It cannot be emphasized enough that this weapon is not high damage against ground targets, merely crowd control against weaker units and a measure to buy time! This is rather unlike Electron Flak, which can be used against light ground units with reasonably high success.

However, since the discovery of the Koprulu Sector, the Temporal Fizz Launcher has become an extremely popular heavy weapon among Raynor's Raiders for being able to slow enemies down significantly and in the case of fragile targets such as Zerglings, Sentries, Ghosts or Mutalisks do some serious damage. This weapon has been added to the Raider infantry standard combat suite of Raynor's Raiders as of September 9, 3868, just prior to the assault on the moon known as Monlyth by the Raiders.

Also, during John Shepard's hunt for the rogue Spectre Saren, the Temporal Fizz Launcher was found to be very effective against the Geth, being able to slow down even Geth Colossi with relative ease. Note that in all reported cases of targets being susceptible to Fizz Launcher effects, the target's firing rate appears to be reduced by a factor equal to the reduction in speed. If the enemy is slowed down by 60% in movement, the same occurs with firing.

For More Information please visit: COALITION ANTI-AIR TECHNOLOGIES, RAIDER (RAYNOR'S RAIDERS), and CHRONOTRON-BASED TECHNOLOGIES.

END CODEX ENTRY

* * *

A/N: I was slightly disappointed that neither of my frequent reviewers (RoyalTwinFang and one-village-idiot) noticed that the Raiders had anti-armour since the beginning, more prominently shown during the evacuation of Agria. It is the Infantry Nanodart Launcher, and also acts as an anti-air missile system.

I got the marauders' slow-down effect in, what do you think of it? Also, it's another good flak/crowd control weapon for the Raiders. I hope the Codex entry on it isn't too bad, I had to basically make the whole thing up (at least Liberiam Crystals, the previous codex entry could be "seeded", as the description for the Liberiam Battles map states), including how it works.

The Codex Entries for the Raider (infantry) and the Hyperion will be coming up reasonably soon (the Raiders most likely in Ch 6 and Hyperion in Ch 5), as they are both more or less plot-critical. Are there any other codex requests? Please state in reviews, the requests will be considered for future chapters.


	5. Load of Old Tosh

A/N: I never said Raiders were perfect, but they are very good units, though I may have overdone the armour a little… see below.

I said the bit about Ghosts only because someone thought that it would be impossible for Raiders to cover for Ghost functionality. Who says a generalist can't beat specialists? In the past we had such things as dedicated Grenadiers. Now, it's simply assault infantry, who would win one-on-one? Usually, the Assault Infantry would, right?

In due time, people will find counters for the Raiders, that is true, for example, Goliaths and Vikings, not to mention Dark Templar or Zealots using ambush _and_ charge tactics (simply charge can be slowed down somewhat by Temporal Fizz) can outmatch Raiders (two-on-one may be required for Goliaths and Vikings), and Marauders have extra firepower against them.

By the way, Tosh does mean junk/garbage/bullshit, right? As in, is the title of this chapter correct?

* * *

Chapter 5: Load of Old Tosh

_Somewhere in the Koprulu Sector, September 9, 3868_

"We're getting a transmission, sir, the source is Redstone."

"I hear the mighty Jim Raynor's on the move, but short on funds. The planet Redstone's got the most valuable minerals around, an' with the Zerg invasion, the Kel-Morians packed up and left it all behind. Some enterprising men could turn a big profit there. Meet me at Redstone if you want a piece of the action."

"Adjutant, what do you have for me?"

The cybernetic woman was caught with a huge blush on her face, looking somewhat sweaty; in the holo-cam that she had on a helmet extension at all times "Ooh… huh? Oh, sorry, Commander" She hurriedly wiped her hands on something before tapping the holo-console that had come into being before her "anyways, some basic information: Securing the rights to exploit Redstone's mineral fields was the flashpoint for conflicts between different mining guilds prior to the start of the Terran Guild Wars. The rest, you'll find out when you get there, Tychus said you'd probably like it."

"I don't know if I want to know what you were doing before, so I won't ask…" actually, Raynor had a very good idea what the Adjutant had been doing just a moment ago, probably experimenting with her new body, again. "Plot the jump, Adjutant, then go back to whatever you were doing earlier, Raynor, out." He closed the channel.

On the other side, the Adjutant let out an indignant huff and pulled her pants back on "God damn it, Raynor, you mood-killer."

* * *

_High Orbit Over Redstone, September 9, 3868_

Raynor grimaced "Redstone. Hell of a place. I ever mention how much I hate volcanic planets?"

The unknown transmission came through again "Good to see you made it. They call me Tosh. You help me mine the minerals I need and I'll make it worth your while."

Raynor raised an eyebrow at the dark-skinned man with silver eyes and a goatee came into view "What's the catch?"

"Well, this place is a little...unstable. The low ground gets flooded with lava every few minutes. Of course that's where the richest mineral nodes are found. But that'll be no problem for a big tough guy like you." A video played showing the low ground being flooded right after the SCVs evacuated and the Command Center lifted off.

Horner moved the display to a Zerg base "Sir, I'm also picking up Zerg bio-signatures on the surface."

"We'll need to spend some of what we mine just to defend the operation. The more we spend, the longer this is gonna take."

"Huh, lava and Zerg, two of my favourite things. Let's do this."

Five minutes after the Raiders touched down on a plateau and began mining, the Adjutant patched through with a warning "Alert. Lava surge imminent. Evacuate low ground immediately." As the three mini-volcanoes around the Rich Mineral field began to spray up molten rock, the SCVs began moving toward the ramp up onto the plateau

Raynor transmitted to his SCV pilots "Lava's rising, get those SCVs to high ground right now!" This caused the SCVs to kick in their afterburners, speeding up and getting onto the plateau well before the lava spilled over onto the low ground from the surrounding lava fields.

After the lava receded, the adjutant alerted Raynor "All clear. It is now safe to proceed with mining operations."

Horner put in another word "This counter shows the estimated time until the next lava surge. Move all units and structures to high ground when a surge is imminent. Good luck, Jim."

When they'd reached 2000 of the 10,000 minerals Tosh wanted, Tosh put in a word "I got some friends coming to help you out, Reapers."

Swann put in his opinion at this point "Reapers you say? Hell, cowboy, we gotta adapt our Raider armour to match these guys, they're seriously badass!"

"Some of my boys disappeared in this area. Want to see if they're still alive." Tosh said, Raynor agreed and began moving the Reapers around, scouting out the terrain, finding other Reapers, blowing up Zerg bases, all the good stuff, while sending them back to base for repairs and healing regularly.

"Seismic activity is increasing. Caution is advised." The adjutant warned when the countdown timer reached 1:00, four minutes after Raynor began his rampage through the area

Stetmann pinged Raynor's console "Ah, sir! Sir! Ah scanners show a large bio-signature close to your position - a Brutalisk I think! If you could kill it that'd get my… err our research off to a flying start!"

"Alert. Lava surge imminent. Evacuate low ground immediately." The SCVs retreated to high ground and the Reapers all crowded onto a little platform they'd found. After the lava surge passed and the lava sloshed back into the lava fields around the low ground, like a tsunami back into the sea, the adjutant finished "All clear. It is now safe to proceed with mining operations."

"Just a reminder sir; the more minerals we expend on forces, the longer it's going to take to reach our goal. Try to be economical." Horner cautioned, watching Raynor spend lots of mineral upgrading his Raiders with the newest gadget Swann had come up with, taking advantage of Redstone's mineral supply so as to not reveal the full extent of the Hyperion's abilities to Tosh.

When the group of Reapers finished systematically scouting out the locations of every Zerg Base, the Raiders moved out and began to hunt them down. The Reapers in the meantime scouted the northern reaches of the operations area, finding a flying Command Center and five SCVs, which Raynor promptly moved to a second mineral field in the low ground just northeast of the Raiders' initial base. "Tosh sent ya to help? About time! Let's finish up this contract and get the hell off this planet."

Once they'd reached 4000 minerals, despite spending a lot on upgrading all the Raiders, "Since you're doing right by me, I'll do right by you. Here's the coordinates of the nearest mineral nodes."

Another 1000 mineral, courtesy of a destroyed Zerg base in the south, later, Tosh called again "Your men work fast. We've already got half the minerals we need."

"Great, now, let's get through this surge." They lost nothing in said surge. "And let's go Brutalisk hunting!"

* * *

_Redstone, September 9, 3868_

"Well, boys, we've got a Brutalisk to kill and samples to retrieve…" the Lieutenant told his 24 soldiers. "Let's go, boys."

The Raiders scrambled onto the Brutalisk's plateau, blasting all the Zerg units that stood in their way, a minute before the next lava surge would come. A hulking shadow appeared in the distant clouds of volcanic dust even as the Raiders tore the Zerg units and structures to ribbons. The Brutalisk advanced toward them slowly, the men opening massed fire on the creature with everything they had, to no avail. They could not retreat because of the lava surge below, the Brutalisk had them, all 25, cornered.

The first Raider the Brutalisk swung at squeezed her eyes shut and gripped her weapons' triggers in a death-grip as the Brutalisk's mighty blades descended toward her. A moment later, the over-shield depletion alarm sounded inside her helmet and she realized she hadn't died from the strike, which had pierced the over-shield but been deflected by her personal shields. She didn't have time to move out of the way of the creature's back-swing, effectively a vicious left hook which punched through her personal shield and damaged the structural fields as she went flying through the air, smashing into a boulder. The only reason she wasn't skewered was the fact that the Brutalisk had braced itself on the downswing, expecting almost no resistance from the puny Raider; it had not wanted to bury its claws into the ground and then waste time dislodging them. Then it had been caught off-guard on the backswing, which didn't hit the Raider nearly as hard as it could have. Another Raider was forced to run after a single downswing breached both over-shield and shield, damaging the structural fields somewhat but sliding off.

The Raiders that had taken damage moved to the back of the formation as more Temporal Fizzes, Nanodarts, Flames, and Gauss rounds were thrown at the behemoth by their comrades. Via an active cycling system of troops, not on Raider was lost, though it took a while for the Brutalisk to die, in fact, they had to blow its head completely to tatters before its backup nervous system finally shut down and the creature died. The Raiders then picked up a sample or two for Stetmann, and gather up the mineral and gas packs that were curiously lying around. Then, they moved east, and assaulted more Zerg bases, in other words, they had a cakewalk, standing on high ground whenever there was a lava surge.

* * *

"Alright boys, nice work. We got what we came for. Now let's get outta this hellhole!"

Tosh called in "Finished already? You really are as good as they say Mr. Raynor. I'm thinking you and I got a lot more business we can be talking about."

Horner could detect and subconsciously repel Tosh's subtle mind probes well enough, so he said "Nice work, sir. The payoff from Redstone really got us back on our feet." Well, true, it did, in a way, since a lot of the minerals had been spent upgrading the Raiders, but what no one outside the Raiders knew, and what the raiders had been trained to resist probing and sworn to secrecy for, was that Raynor's Raiders had never had a money problem since the encounter with the Coalition of species years ago. In fact, they had several front companies selling high-end (or according to Seth-Thauum, museum-quality) components to non-Dominion civilian shipyards, complete with copyright protection technology.

Raynor looked around at Tosh for a moment before looking back at Matt "Why is that Tosh guy aboard?"

"He wanted to talk to you in person, sir. Something about conducting more 'business ventures' together."

Raynor frowned as he'd been doing a lot lately "You do any digging on him?"

"Of course, and he's no pirate. Rumour has it he's a renegade Ghost - and until he vanished he was one of the Dominion's top assassins. Now Mengsk hates him almost as much as he hates you."

Raynor raised his eyebrows "Well, I like this guy already. Just the same, we'd best keep an eye on him."

"Yes Sir. By the way, you might want to talk to our new guest. Maybe ask him to leave my bridge?"

"Sure, I'll do that… hello, Tosh."

"Ah here's the man! We make a good team, me and you."

"Why are you here, Tosh? Our business is done unless ya got something else for me?"

The man looked at Raynor with milky-white eyes that seemed slightly disturbing as well as a subtle psionic probe that met only Raynor's barriers "Yeah I got another job for us on a world called Bel'shir. Interested?"

"Maybe. But what's in it for me? Piracy ain't exactly my chosen path."

Tosh shrugged "Everyone knows Jim Raynor wants to put the hurt on Mengsk. I can help you with that…" He punched his palm and looked down for a moment "I can help you big time."

"I'll think about it. For the time being, welcome aboard the Hyperion. We'll talk later."

* * *

_Cantina, Hyperion, September 9, 3868_

Raynor decided it best to ask Tychus about Tosh, in case he had something on the mysterious man "You ever heard of a guy named Gabriel Tosh?"

Tychus blinked before answering "Only rumours. Way I hear it; he was mixed up in some covert branch of the Ghost program that produced some real scary bad-asses. Word was Tosh snapped and went rogue. I'd play it real cool with that kind. He'd cut your throat soon as look at ya."

Raynor snorted "I've dealt with rogue Ghosts before. It's the ones still working for Mengsk I got a problem with." He emptied his drink.

* * *

_Laboratory, Hyperion, September 9, 3868_

Hanson approached Jim with a frown as soon as he entered the lab "Just out of curiosity, I did some tests on the minerals from Redstone. I thought you should know, I found trace quantities of Jorium, a rare crystal with very unique properties."

Raynor frowned too "I'm all ears, Doc. What kind of properties?"

"Jorium resonates at the same frequency as certain brain waves. It's been theorized that it could be used to stimulate brain activity or even produce psionic abilities in human subjects."

Raynor looked off into space for a moment "What the hell does Tosh want that for?"

* * *

_Cantina, Hyperion, September 10, 3868_

Raynor was back in the cantina, watching UNN's latest batch of hyper-censored lies. "Donny Vermillion, UNN. Your first, last and only stop for the truth. Tonight our own Kate Lockwell uncovers a secret shadow war, waged by our brave Dominion ghosts, against a ruthless, hidden enemy."

That was worrying, since that implied some sort of cloaking… rogue Ghosts? Maybe… Tosh? But the ticker text was just as worrying "KMC abandons outlying worlds as losses mount." If the Kel-Moria Combine was taking a beating, that meant one less rival for the Dominion in the Sector.

The attractive Asian woman known as Kate Lockwell started her own report with an inset video of a blacked-out figure next to her "Thanks Donny. I'm talking live with _*beep*_, a specialist in the Dominion _*beep*_. _*beep*_, I understand that you and your comrades have been _*beep*_ against a _*beep*_ _*beep*_ of _*beep*_. What can you tell us about that?" Raynor was strongly reminded of the Morse Code mentioned in history lessons, or binary code being played on a beeper while the woman was talking.

"Umoja mobilizes", on the other hand, was a good thing, it meant more troops to fight the Zerg and also another rival for the Dominion entering the fray. The Umojan Protectorate wasn't a match for the Dominion, but it was still a good size and could be a nuisance to the Dominion in the future, in addition to fighting the Zerg. "Conscription Stations open across core worlds" was a worrying development, that meant even more numerical superiority for the Dominion, and Raynor knew that even with the enormous advantage his Raiders had over the Dominion's infantry, numbers could still win wars.

The Silhouette said "Well Kate, I'm not allowed to say much, but I can tell you _*beep*_ and his allies will not _*beep*_. We expect to _*beep*_ them very soon." In other words, he said absolutely nothing other than "We'll deal with it, don't you worry."

"Markets slump after Kelanis defeat" was a bad thing, since that meant the Zerg had won another battle, or perhaps campaign. But the last ticker statement, about some actress entering rehab, was completely irrelevant, as was Donny Vermillion's conclusion.

"I think we'll all sleep a little better tonight, knowing our Dominion forces are watching over us. For UNN, I'm Donny Vermillion."

"Humph, keep thinking that, Donny, but we know the truth, and soon, everyone will, just you wait."

* * *

_Bridge, Hyperion, September 10, 3868_

"So, Tosh, what's the next bit of business you have for me?"

"There's a rare gas on Bel'shir the Protoss call 'the Breath of Creation'. They think it be a gift from their gods. We call it Terrazine and it is worth a fortune to the right bidder. Of course those Protoss will kill us if they catch us on their holy ground, or at least they'll try."

"And of course, they'll fail, Adjutant, what do you have on Bel'shir?"

"Dotted with ancient shrines and ruined temple-gardens, Bel'shir was once held as a sacred spiritual retreat for the Protoss templar." The cybernetic woman said "plotting course, now. Shall we go, Commander?"

"Go ahead, Adjutant." The ship jumped and the cybernetic woman took her hand away from the console, the glow of her finger circuitry fading slowly to more or less normal human skin tone.

"Here we go. Much prettier than Redstone, yeah?"

"I don't much like fighting' Protoss if I can avoid it."

Tosh shook his head "Not just any old Protoss, fanatics called the Tal'darim. They believe the Terrazine is sacred, a gift from the Xel'Naga."

Raynor "If these Tal'darim bring in their air power… our Raiders will hammer them." _Just like we hammered them last time on Monlyth_, he thought, keeping his barriers up and impenetrable to Tosh's casual and most likely subconscious/instinctive psionic brushes. "Swann, make sure ALL our Raiders carry Missiles, even the ones that prefer to use LBRs for sniping, and make sure everyone has Fizzers!"

"Alright, cowboy. I'll make sure all our boys have them, and also, I may or may not complete some interesting upgrades for the Raiders during the course of this battle…"

Raynor nodded at his cam and looked over at Tosh "How do we get to the Terrazine?"

Tosh moved the display toward a strange structure "See those altars? Tal'darim mystics set them up to collect the Terrazine. We just need to grab it."

"Well, our SCVs will be able to haul the Terrazine. We just got to keep them protected. With any luck we can pick up what we need before the Tal'darim find us. Alright, let's get to it.

"Here are the coordinates for the Terrazine sites, brother. This should make our lives a little easier." The strategic display lit up with a number of highlighted areas, with the characteristic yellow circle and triangles for a target location, to be specific, 13 such sites. The Hyperion's Omni could not penetrate the atmosphere, unless they used focused scanning, nor could the Soothsayer (without focused scanning), but the Radar could, and a cluster of grey structure icons lit up the central plateau of the operation area, along with a mass to the far north.

Swann put through a communiqué "Our SCVs can pick up Terrazine canisters and move 'em. It'll take 'em a while to disconnect the canister so make sure you watch out for 'em."

Raynor sent down three dozen Raiders as well as some SCVs and a Command Center, plus the volunteers they'd gotten recently, no point not gathering up the minerals for later use, or perhaps just for mass, and the Vespene made for good trade material using the new quantum storage tanks the Raiders had… Twenty-four of the Raiders and two of the SCVs headed west immediately to grab the four Terrazine containers to the west and northwest of the Raiders' starting plateau. The others piled into bunkers that the SCVs had set up while the Barracks began outfitting more Raiders (refitting the Agria Marines) with parts sent down from the Hyperion.

Fourteen Raiders went with one SCV to the geysers further north while the other ten did the one directly to the west of Raynor's small base. The SCVs used Omni-gel to quickly seal up and pick up the canisters, then transported them up to the Hyperion via their albeit limited engineering suites. Said suites were only equivalent to a Mantis T1 Light Armour. But that meant a transport rate of… up to ten tons a second (Raynor's note to self: reclamation is roughly 5 times faster than construction in most engineering suites).

As soon as the two crews began to move north to grab another set of Terrazine geysers, nearer the Protoss base near the center of the operation area, a transmission came through from the Protoss Executor "This land was sacred to the Tal'darim before Terrans ever reached the stars! You must depart immediately!"

Raynor held his hands up as if to ward off the angry Protoss's wrath "Hold on now. We just need some of this gas here, and we'll be long gone before you know it." He said calmly, this wouldn't be a problem even if it came down to a fight, he hoped, with all the upgrades his Raiders had.

The Protoss's eyes flared in anger "No! You shall not defile the Breath of Creation! Tal'darim warriors, execute all those who would desecrate our altars!" The channel closed and Raynor laughed as he directed his Raiders and SCVs to make a stand at the next Terrazine geyser

Horner came on, well, the horn "The Protoss are mobilizing, sir. Looks like they're gonna go after our SCVs when we harvest the Terrazine. They probably have sensors around the altars to alert them when we're doing something…"

"I see them, Matt." Indeed, the grey diamond icons of land units were moving swiftly toward the Terrazine Altar the Raiders were hunkered down near, though there wasn't enough time to set up bunkers, Raynor had full confidence in the ability of his Raiders to hold back the enemy. The attack was by a dozen Zealots using their Charge ability, plus a few Stalkers using their Blink ability. It would have been nice if the Coalition's gifts could use teleportation like that, but unfortunately they were simply too massive to transport that easily…

The twenty-four Raiders opened up effectively as one with their Temporal Fizz Launchers, slowing the charge ability of the Zealots to a more reasonable pace, while the Gauss Chainguns hosed down their shields. However, the Zealots still reached the Raider line before more than about two of them died, and smashed into the over-shields of the Raiders with their Psi Blades. The Raiders had prepped their flamethrowers when the Zealots had closed distance, and when they finally crashed into the raider line, shields meeting shields, the Raiders opened up.

In the First Great War, Firebats had proven to be effective against Zealots. Things had not changed, much. The Tal'darim zealots were caught by surprise by the wide array of weapons each Raider boasted, along with their over-shields and personal shields, the net kill tally was Raiders 18, Tal'darim 0. This total was counting the stalkers that found themselves victims of high-yield Nanodarts, effectively anti-tank missile launchers.

Matt came on the line "I suggest we only harvest one site at a time and run with a heavy escort. That attack wasn't nearly as heavy as it could have been, and two of our Raiders lost all shields, if it wasn't for the fields…"

"I'm dropping in more Raiders while those Agria Marines get their refits finished, with the appropriate tactics we shouldn't take ANY losses, if we keep rotating our men." Raynor said, moving his troops toward the next altar once the SCVs finished Raider suit repairs and picked up the Terrazine.

Tosh said in encouragement "Three down. You're doing great! Keep it up!"

As Raynor's men approached the next geyser, he got another transmission from the Protoss "You shall not steal the Breath of Creation so easily!"

Raynor noticed the triangle icons of aircraft moving before Tosh gave him the warning "Careful! They're sending their ships to take out your SCVs! Shoot 'em down quick or we're finished!"

The Protoss bragged as his air fleet moved south toward Raynor's Terrazine collection force, which had just been reinforced by sixteen more Raiders "These reckless Terrans must be stopped! Slay them all!"

Raynor snorted "Yeah, keep wishing, fanatic!" He ordered his troops to grab the fourth canister and fall back toward the base, where SCVs had prepared more bunkers and missile turrets to deal with the Protoss Void Rays and scout fleets. "That's over half the canisters you wanted."

Tosh nodded before suddenly noting something in alarm "Those Protoss are sealing off the geysers!"

Raynor looked at the alert icon on his screen, southeast of the central plateau "Fuck, change in plans then, dropping in more Raiders on them now." Twenty more Raiders descended toward the planet in the Restorer as the Raiders already in the base left and met up with the Terrazine collection force, surging east to eliminate the Probe sealing off the geyser. "Screw this, time to bring out the big boys." The Continental detached from the Hyperion and descended down toward the planet. "But for now, our Raiders have to take the heat… hey, a Protoss Relic…"

The encounter went pretty well, since they'd gotten reinforcements, and since the Void Rays could not fire from very high altitudes or very long distances due to the fact that atmospheric gases dispersed the beams naturally, making them inaccurate/ineffective. Another point was the fact that Scouts were not specifically designed for air-to-ground action, their phase disruptor blasters doing very little. They only disrupted the phase of so little material on impact whereas even a Phasic SMG fired off blobs of phased plasma, which does more damage for their size, though the greater size of the Scout guns made them so slightly more damage.

"Sir, I'm detecting two more Protoss relics, one to the northeast and one to the west-northwest of the Operation area." Stetmann spoke up.

"Great, Stetmann, I'll pick them up in time." Raynor said "Ah, the Continental's down… let's get cracking."

* * *

_Surface of Bel'shir, September 10, 3868_

The first thing Jim Raynor learned was NOT to drop a 2600-some ton Brick Armoured Assault Bot on top of a Photon Cannon, it was just embarrassing for the Protoss on the receiving end to see a base defence crushed to dust by a falling, well, Brick. Not that Photon Cannons being blasted to ashes in under half a second (two shots are spaced 0.4 seconds apart) wasn't mortifying enough for the Protoss. Though that meant Photon Cannons were unusually resilient against Heavy Disintegrator Pulse Lasers, as each shot would be 150 structural integrity worth of damage. The Photon Cannons were far more durable than anything the Zerg and probably the Dominion had outside of more-or-less experimental weaponry. Raynor chuckled darkly as the units rampaged through the Protoss base, the Serenity blowing away the shields of the Nexus in one strike, and the Bricks disassembling the structure in short order. Whatever the Dominion called "Experimental" really needed to meet a Galactic Colossus sometime…

His units rampaged through the Protoss outpost in the middle of the map with very little effort and were repaired by the Combat Engineer whenever they took any damage. Then the angry group of units, along with one of the two Restorers the Hyperion owned and the Continental (carrying the Mech Marines onboard to serve as a Ghetto Gunship and to ensure they didn't lose any of the machines in the fight), marched north toward the main Protoss base while the other Restorer took a crew of six Raiders to pick up the other two Protoss Relics.

The first, on the west side, was unguarded, which meant a quick stop and grab before the Restorer sped off toward the second, being attacked by two Scouts and shooting both down en route. Scouts, much like T2 Fighter/Bombers, were not that tough and not that long-ranged; hence it took only moments for the Restorer's Zealot battery to cut them down. The second Relic actually had defences, three stalkers and two Photon Cannons… which were soon reduced to ashes by the Restorer's Quad Light Laser. The Stalkers took a second each, and the Photon Cannons around two seconds each. The Restorer registered only about 150 points of damage taken in the ordeal, out of its 7200 Structural integrity, 900 Shields and 1200 Over-shields. The net result was not even a scratch in the paintjob.

"Hmm, these Tal'darim sure have pretty out-of-date weapons… the Protoss on Shakuras have much better power ratings on their stalkers and photon cannons…" Raynor mused as he picked up the second Relic and the Continental's group of units began walking into and in some cases over the main Protoss base in the north. Of course, this made the gathering of Terrazine gas absurdly easy, but that was beside the point, these Tal'darim had gotten in the way twice already, so Raynor would get rid of as many of the fanatics as he possibly could, to make things easier later.

Finally, when their structures and troops were in ruins, the few Void Rays and scouts that survived (apparently the hardened shields of the Void rays weren't that effective against small payloads like Nanodarts…) turned tail and fled once the Hyperion arrived on the scene and smashed a Void ray out of the sky in a single shot from one of the Heavy Oblivion Cannons concealed in its hammerhead (one of the smaller of the three circular lights on the front) "The Tal'darim just can't stand up to our firepower, they're in full retreat! Well done, sir!" Horner congratulated Jim from his station.

Raynor sat back and took his hands off the strategic control console as he called back his troops "That's the last canister! I think we've outstayed our welcome, boys!" He said proudly, grinning smugly.

* * *

_Cantina, Hyperion, September 10, 3868_

Matt approached Raynor with a worried frown with Tosh standing on his right side, Raynor's left "Sir, I received an encrypted transmission from an untraceable source. It claims that Tosh here was part of a classified operation called Project: Shadowblade. They used Jorium and Terrazine to enhance ghost powers."

Tosh shrugged "It's true. We are called Spectres, next generation Ghosts."

Raynor raised an eyebrow at Tosh "And you were gonna tell me all this when?"

Tosh shrugged again "We all have our secrets, Mr. Raynor. Doesn't mean I'm any threat to you."

Raynor pursed his lips, feeling Tosh's subtle mind-probe and brushing it aside as if it was unconscious "Maybe not… but whoever sent this message could be. Matt, any way to verify the transmission?"

"No sir. But it does end with 'I'll be in touch soon.'"

Tosh frowned "It's Mengsk, trying to turn us against each other. Don't let him."

"I'll let it lie for now, at least 'til I find out who sent this transmission. But I'll be keeping an eye on you, Tosh."

Tosh snorted "You can try." He returned to his place on the balcony in the Cantina after that.

After Matt left the Cantina, Raynor turned to his old buddy "So, Tychus, what do you think of Tosh?"

"That Tosh is a whack job, Jimmy! Spends all his time muttering and playing around with those damn… dolls… of his."

Raynor snorted "Well, I need someone to balance out your sophistication and good manners."

Tychus shook his head, frowning, as if to say Raynor wasn't getting it "The guy ain't right in the head, brother! I can appreciate some good, honest craziness. But that guy? He's got something broke inside."

"Sure, Tychus… we'll see." Raynor drained his drink and returned the glass to the auto-cleaner, another thing that made the new Hyperion so much better than the old, though Seth had made him promise to not deploy a Coalition-style base unless he was truly desperate, just so that Mengsk wouldn't get his "grubby little paws" on nanolathing technology. Then he left the Cantina with a "See ya guys!"

* * *

_Hyperion, September 10, 3868_

Raynor asked Matt through his suit comm. "What do you make of that encrypted message, Matt?"

Matt shook his head, looking at the ground before looking up again "I honestly don't know, Sir. If Tosh really is one of these Spectres, it's clear Mengsk would try to ruin your partnership. But Tosh isn't telling us everything. If we're going to win this revolution…"

"I know… we have to be sure of our allies. I'm going to go ask Dr. Hanson about it right now…"

"Alright, Jim, see you in a bit…" he hung up on the channel, then immediately opened one up with Tychus and Swann "Guys, Jim's headed for the lab now, let's think about what we can do to get him to go for the Doc…"

"Ya know, Horner, if it wasn't the way Jimmy looked after that run-in with Kerrigan, I wouldn't be in on this…" Tychus shook his head, having sealed his helmet to keep the conversation private "by the way, I've asked around, half of the rest of the ship seems to favour putting them together, the other half, most of them the ones who know what happened back then, thinks him and Kerrigan are some sort of fairy tale and that he'll save her someday and they'll go off and have mutant babies together…"

Matt snorted "Tychus, if there's one thing I hope you know about Jim, it's that he'll never kiss a Zerg, let alone screw one."

"Yeah, you're right, now, to get that image out of my head."

"I know, I know, but how can we get him to spend more time with Doctor Hanson? He talks to her as much as he does all the rest of us department heads, and he likes going around talking to the men too, so how can we…" Horner scratched his head and the three descended into an awkward silence.

"Let's hope he likes brainy babes." Swann said at last, Matt and Tychus nodded approvingly, signalling him to go on "Though from personal experience they tend to be the most adventurous after Ghosts."

A slap was heard from Matt's end, and a dull clang of armoured glove meeting visor from Tychus's "well then we're back to square one, Rory, Kerrigan was a Ghost."

Swann punched his palm in irritation "Damn, let's think of something else then… Jim needs to get his head out of this rut and back to business."

Tychus nodded "I agree, he needs to stop moping around over the one woman we absolutely have to get rid of… seriously, and it's not like the Doc's hideous or anything like that."

"True, Tychus, the problem is how to make Jim spend more time with her… could you spend more time hanging out in the lab, helping Stetmann with his Protoss, Zerg and Coalition research?"

"Aw come on, you know I don't like that nerdy stuff…"

Swann sighed dramatically "I only I could be in the same room as all that military hardware all the time…"

Tychus was interested now "What hardware"

"Well we have some interesting schematics from the Coalition and Rory and Stetmann regularly confer over, mostly big badda boom technology, and we have an Armoured Command Unit simulator, though there's the holodeck, which can work as a whole bunch of them, it's still a wonderful experience and just more real than the holodeck, you know, more solid than solid light…" Horner replied casually, shrugging nonchalantly.

"Alright, I guess, might make Jimmy spend more time near her and less in the Cantina, would do his liver good…" Tychus agreed after a long pause.

Swann and Horner shared a look before Matt started cautiously "You actually care about what drinking and smoking does to you?"

Tychus rolled his eyes "did you actually think this cigarette was real?" He chewed on it, moving it to the other side of his mouth "it's an energy bar in disguise, something I came up with myself, same with what Jim always 'smokes' and the end is a light that lights up brighter when I suck in." He rolled his eyes at the other two's identical expressions of shock and spread his arms "What? I can't find a way to look badass, stay healthy, and have a convenient bit of extra energy around at the same time? I ain't stupid ya know!"

"You just surprised us, that's all, though I wonder why the Cowboy never told me this…" Swann said, rubbing his stubble thoughtfully.

"Well it was our little secret up until now… hey, comm. officer found something, should probably take it to Raynor in the Lab, wonder what he's going over with Stetmann and Hanson in there… See ya boys, and come up with a better plan next time… unless I enjoy myself down there, in which case, don't."

Matt nodded "See ya Tychus, Horner, signing off." His image winked out on Tychus's HUD.

Swann looked slightly to one side before nodding too "Swann here, signing off." The second image winked out, and Tychus stepped outside the Cantina doors.

* * *

_Laboratory, Hyperion, September 10, 3868_

"So, Doc, how are the tests coming along?"

Hanson didn't look up from her holoconsole as she typed away "Just a few more minutes and we should have more detailed results, sir."

Raynor frowned as something occurred to him "Haven't I asked you to call me Jim?"

"Yes, you have, I believe…" Hanson looked up and smiled at Raynor before looking beyond him "Oh, it looks like Stetmann wants to talk to you."

After discussing the possibilities of the Khaydarin Crystal sample they had obtained being related somehow to the Liberiam Crystal, taking quite a while to understand the technogabble and convert it to something normal humans could understand. The conversation with Stetmann turned to something about the Zerg sample they had, plus some of the newer schematics they'd gotten from the Coalition of Species, Raynor eventually got the point across that the point was not so much to completely understand the science as to understand how it worked for the time being. Then he returned to where Hanson was waiting with the results of the latest tests.

"Hi, Doc, so, anything interesting?"

Ariel nodded "I've run a few tests on the Terrazine gas like you asked. It's clearly related to vespene gas, but there are some very exotic organics added into the mix."

Raynor raised his eyebrows, it sounded interesting "Any guesses what it's used for?"

"Well it would definitely affect brain chemistry, so it could be used as some kind of a drug or stimulant I suppose."

"Drugs, huh? That's just wonderful. Gotta wonder why Tosh wants it eh?" He shook his head and was about to leave the lab when the door opened and a familiar light blue suit of Raider armour came in "Tychus, what are you doing here?"

"I heard there was an Armoured Command Unit simulator or something along those lines here from Swann, so I came to check it out, he said it was one of the most badass things ever when you got into it, and he said it really made you understand how powerful the Coalition of Species is…"

"What's the Coalition of Species?" Hanson asked, looking curious.

"I'll let Jimmy tell you that, there's a video the comm. officer thinks you need to see right away, Horner said it might have something to do with Tosh." Well, Tychus had seen Tosh watching it, nodding and smiling, so he'd told Matt and recorded Tosh's actions with his suit. "The guy's reactions looked pretty fishy to me…" Tychus activated the recording.

A fuzzy image came up, flames in the background and Kate Lockwell in the foreground "…I repeat, death toll is in the thousands. A Dominion weapons plant exploded hours ago, causing a chain reaction that has taken out several housing complexes in this working-class neighbourhood." The ticker said the same thing "Weapons plant attacked on Nephor II" and "Thousands dead on Nephor II after attack" except it added that it wasn't an accident.

Tosh was shown watching the report, nodding and smiling "Dominion Security Forces claim it was an act of terror by the notorious Jim Raynor. But our own investigations suggest that the plant must have been infiltrated by forces with sophisticated stealth technologies."

Raynor frowned and looked to the ticker, which added almost nothing with "Dominion security claims Raynor involved in Nephor II attack" and "Prince Valerian attends 2nd annual Navy ball"

Kate Lockwell continued "It begs the question: could some of the Dominion's Ghost operatives have gone rogue? For UNN, this is Kate Lockwell reporting from core world, Nephor II."

The ticker rolled on "Zerg sighting on Korhal revealed as a hoax" That was a good thing, as it meant the Zerg hadn't overrun the sector yet, but the camera focused on Tosh, who was wearing what could be described as a creepy dreamy grin on his face.

"Alright, I get it, something is seriously wrong with Tosh, we'll see who the hell sent us that message soon…" Raynor said.

"Yeah, anyways, where's the simulator?" Tychus was pointed toward the far end of the lab by Stetmann, and left without another word.

"So, I guess it's up to me to explain to you exactly what the Coalition of Species is…" Raynor turned to Hanson "Let's find a seat, this could take a while…"

Tychus grinned as he left them, telling someone a long story could really be a bonding experience, as he remembered from catching up with Jim a couple days ago. It would, ideally help bring Jim back onto the mission at hand (and give him something else to tease Jim about) and away from the sore subject of Kerrigan. Now, about that simulator…

* * *

A/N: By the way, the only reason for the survival of the Raider depicted in the Redstone mission is the fact that Coalition shields and over-shields are more effective the greater the amount of firepower that hits them. Say a 16-kiloton (directed blast) shot does 3000 damage, a 40-kiloton shot would do 6000 damage, due to structural field and shield pulse overcharges. Hence, a Raider's 32 total health (same as Coalition Cybran Heavy Armour) can mean some big strikes can be absorbed from Zerg creatures, especially when it's not quite a full force strike.

Also, sorry but it didn't seem appropriate to include the Hyperion Codex Entry yet, as it hasn't been in any decisive fleet actions yet. But don't worry, the Raider entry will come along soon (most likely next chapter), I promise.


	6. Spectres of the Past

A/N: For information on the Raiders' power armour; please consult the Codex Entry found near the end of this chapter. The Raiders will get plans to build Coalition-style fleets (mostly automated ships with small crews on the ships that actually have crews) eventually, before the Char battle, don't worry.

By the way, you'll see why I'm not giving the Raiders a fleet too soon as soon as the Hyperion Codex Entry rolls around… let's just say the newly re-built Hyperion is now of sufficient power to more or less match up to a Coalition Battlecruiser (even with the BC refit that gave them more shields).

* * *

Chapter 6: Spectres of the Past

_Armoury, Hyperion, September 12, 3868_

"Hey, Cowboy, the Coalition's released their Quantum Propulsion Pack technology to us, me and Stetmann have gone over it and adapted it to our raiders' suits, so now we can hop around just like Tosh's Reapers did before! Well actually we can fly for a short time but that's another matter altogether, try not to make our boys fly, they'll need more practice at jumping before flying is effective… don't worry the things are crash-proofed, but still…" Swann trailed off.

Raynor nodded "I know, don't reveal too many of our aces before it's time, I'll see ya in a bit!" Swann nodded and went back to his gourmet Rainbow Trout (imported from Tyrador). "Wait, Rory?"

"Hmm?" Swann said through a mouthful of fish and rice.

"Did Seth give us a reply on what Jorium and Terrazine do yet?"

"Oh, yes… it wasn't good. You see…"

* * *

_Raynor's Quarters, Hyperion, September 12, 3868_

Raynor sat in front of the console in his room, supervising some of the happenings on the Hyperion "So, Adjutant, where does Tosh want to go before he can help us in a direct capacity? Give me the basic info of the place."

"Arcturus Mengsk's homeworld of Korhal was once a prosperous colony until it was obliterated by Confederate nukes. Vast fortunes have been lavished on the planet's reconstruction since Emperor Mengsk took the throne four years ago." The cybernetic woman known as the Adjutant stated. "Now if you don't mind, I have a drinking challenge in the Cantina waiting for me… guy hasn't realized my new body can filter out all the alcohol… I feel sorry for him."

Raynor had an inkling of who was about to be drunk under the table"It was Tychus, wasn't it?"

"Yeah, poor guy's not gonna know what hit him… actually he probably would know, it's not every day, well except on the Hyperion, that an ex-convict gets Kel-Moria Elderberry wine to drink… Hopefully Tychus will hate the refined taste so much he throws up before he poisons himself trying to out-drink me… See you later, sir." The Adjutant smiled before patching Tosh through.

"New Folsom is ripe for the taking, man. Every voice that was ever raised against Mengsk is penned up inside those walls. We let all those prisoners loose an' he'll never know what hit him. Just let me know when you're ready to pull the trigger."

"Sure, see you in a bit, Tosh."

"See ya, brother."

"Matt, lay in a course for Korhal, make sure our stealth systems are fully powered up and out optical emissions dampened."

* * *

_High Orbit over Korhal, Bridge, Hyperion, September 12, 3868_

Raynor had expected this, so he looked around theatrically "Where's Tosh? I thought he'd be here by now." _Should have known this would happen with those shady Spec Ops types…_

Matt Horner turned from his station at the sound of Raynor's voice "He already left the ship. I thought you…" His console pinged "Sir, we have an incoming transmission. It's highly encrypted."

Raynor sat down in his command chair "Patch it through."

A blonde Ghost came on the line, identifiable by her armour and head gear "Well, well… the infamous Jim Raynor. My name is Nova. We should talk…"

Raynor tapped his stubble comically, rolling his eyes "Now what would one of Mengsk's pet Ghosts have to say to me?"

Nova was straight to the point "Tosh is lying to you."

Raynor facepalmed "Hallelujah, tell me something I don't know … Get Tosh on comms. I'm sure he's listening in anyway, encrypted or not." The guy wouldn't have a hope in hell of listening in on Raider transmissions but the Dominion? It would be a piece of cake.

Tosh waved his arms around over his head in exclamation "We Spectres be the future! You just couldn't handle it, little girl."

Nova frowned "Every Ghost that became a Spectre has gone on a psychotic killing spree. The ones I've captured are held in New Folsom."

Tosh had settled down and fixed Raynor with a glare that didn't intimidate him at all, considering it wasn't nearly as scary as Sarah's back when they first met and she'd called him a pig… "Don't listen to her brother. Help me bust the Spectres from New Folsom, and we'll bring down Mengsk together!"

"Tosh wants to reactivate his Spectre buddies using the substances you helped him collect. New Folsom is full of psychopathic killers. Do you really want to release them into the galaxy?" She also stared at Raynor.

"I be helping you against Mengsk, and my people will too. She won't even join you."

"He's a psychotic time bomb. He'll be on your side right up until he puts a knife in your back." _Oh I agree with that one, Nova, he's got a knife he plays with all the time anyways, sounds sensible, and you don't have a hope in hell of sneaking near the Hyperion with its Omni Sensors, so… I'll deal with the threat to me and my men first. He's hidden too much._

Tosh got in the last word "This be the moment of truth. Make your choice." _Your madmen kill bystanders completely needlessly and beyond normal collateral damage… do you really expect me to help you? At least most of the Ghosts, like Sarah, if my memory serves me right, are somewhat wary of _excess_ collateral damage for _no reason… _though of course if it was really necessary they'd do it_ Raynor rolled his eyes.

"It don't matter how much you hate Mengsk, Tosh. If you and your Spectres are as bloodthirsty as it sounds, you're as much of a threat as he ever was. I'll be seeing you real soon."

"You'll regret this, brother." Tosh hung up.

Raynor turned to the Ghost and tapped a few buttons, locking down the transmission from Tosh's tap "Alright, Nova, what's your plan?"

"Tosh's Spectre facilities are on Avernus Station. Join me there and we can shut it down for good… Uploading tactical data to you now." A map of the station appeared, with video feeds of the three operation areas.

"So this is where Tosh plans on building his Spectre army."

"I've identified three facilities that are vital to his operation. Our first target will be the Jorium stockpile…" It highlighted one operation area of the station with the main Jorium storage facility near the north of the area.

"Next will be the Terrazine tanks…" It shifted to a different Operation Area with several tanks of the purple gas. Then the video feed shifted to another area of operations "And finally the psionic waveform indoctrinator Tosh uses to complete the Spectres' activation process."

Raynor nodded "Alright, so we destroy all three of those targets and Tosh is out of business."

"Tosh knows every trick in the book when it comes to infiltration. I can penetrate most of his defences, but I'll need your backup to get through them all."

"And what about Tosh?"

"Just leave him to me."

"Alright, Nova, we'll be there… now." Raynor signalled Matt to activate the Quantum Jump Drive.

"I'm clearing an LZ for your forces…" a tactical nuke blast blossomed on the asteroid-based station's surface "Let's get this party started."

* * *

_Avernus Station, September 12, 3868, 10:30 PM Hyperion Shipboard Time_

The Restorer had swept down and dropped off a good dozen Raiders. "Ok, here we go. Stay sharp boys, Tosh might have some nasty surprises waiting for us, like Siege Tanks."

Nova had sniped a Marauder hanging around before moving on eastward on her own while Raynor directed his Raiders north toward the grey square structure icons there. They came into sight of and promptly began blasting away at a Bunker with their Infantry Nanodart Launchers and other weapons. Though they couldn't use their flamethrowers while using the missile launchers, that didn't matter when at ranges sufficient to use the Nanodart Launchers (the warheads were of sufficient power, being electron weapons, to damage the Raiders when detonated near them).

The Marines that were in the bunker didn't have a chance in hell against the superior firepower, range, mobility and durability (not to mention numbers) of the Raiders. So the Raiders marched east when Nova called on them for help and promptly blasted apart a group of Marines and Reapers. Then they tore down the turret that could have detected Nova.

Raynor ordered his Raiders to feign helplessness about the gate and the gate power generator (in reality, the Raiders' Nanodarts had enough reach and power to blast both targets to cinders in very short order) just to see what Nova would do. "Gonna need your help with this gate, Nova."

"Relax. I just need to take out the gate control on the other side." Nova winked before running up to the structure and setting a couple shaped charges on it before running back and setting off said charges. "See? Nice and easy! Let's move."

The Raiders followed along leisurely behind Nova while she took down everything in their way methodically, right up until they rushed up a ramp to an elevated area with three Reapers, two Marauders and two turrets, resulting in a short firefight between Raynor's crew plus Nova and Tosh's goons. "I don't appreciate that, mister." Nova said crossly once they were leisurely disassembling the turrets. Two Raiders had taken it upon themselves to push her behind them when she'd been targeted by two Marauders.

"Well your armour isn't exactly up to taking anti-armour weapons fire miss, our shields are."

Nova did what was probably the first double-take she'd done since she entered Ghost Academy "You have shields?"

Jim cut into the conversation "That's classified, Nova."

Nova extended a subtle probe toward the minds of the two Raiders, a probe which was instantly stopped by their armour. She raised an eyebrow at that as she looked west to a siege tank sitting deployed some distance away, a patrolling Raven overhead making it a risky proposition.

"Careful, there's a siege tank up ahead. If I can get close enough, I can telepathically dominate the crew." The Raiders stopped her with their bodies "What?"

"There's a Raven there, it's too risky, and you don't have the shields we do." Raynor told her "Boys, hit it!"

"Sure thing, boss" Some of the Raiders said, the others didn't even reply, merely removed their Infantry Nanodart Launchers from the slots on their backs, aimed with their right arms holding the weapons, and fired off one missile each, half toward the Siege Tank, and half the Raven. Neither of which hadn't detected them yet, due to the fact that absolutely everything in the Koprulu Sector had basic stealth which rendered most long-range sensors effectively useless unless in space, where there was little in the way of interference. The Raven's hull never made it to the ground; such was the yield of the missile volley. After all, the only reason armour even existed in the Coalition was because it provided the medium needed for structural integrity fields to function in/on. Hence, without structural integrity fields, most things, unless with absurdly thick armour, would die from one hit from certain weapon when their structural fields were down/absent.

Nova would have liked to think of herself as difficult to surprise, but Raynor's boys had pulled it off… as to whether she'd report to Mengsk all she saw of their tech… nah, the bastard had screwed her and the rest of the ghosts over often enough. The missiles had blown apart the siege Tank in the same volley, not surprising as twelve Marauder missiles would have had the same effect, but the surprising part was the wreckage… or utter lack thereof.

The group of Raiders ran over the cliffs (beneath which the Siege Tank used to be) and engaged their jump packs, which used holographic flames to fool Nova's mission recording cameras, not that she would be reporting much anyways, Ghosts tended to only turn in their video records. They jumped onto the platform and landed before the automated Missile Turrets could get accurate locks, then they proceeded to dismantle the damned things.

Proceeding west, they noticed two targets on their sensors LONG before Nova's Ghost Combat Suit sensors did. Zooming in with their HUDs revealed two oddly outfitted Ghosts, probably Tosh's Spectres… "Spectres! Let me handle them." Nova said as her combat optics picked up the same targets, the Raiders didn't respond to her, but among themselves, quite a few snorted or snickered at how far their own tech, the Coalition's tech, was ahead of the Dominions, it wasn't even funny.

She sniped both of the spectres from long distance in short order, though the Raiders thought their Laser Battle Rifles, one of the weapons their suits could attach to their right arm (under the flamethrower, beside where the Gauss Chaingun is usually held) could have pulled off two overcharged shots much faster, or actually, given the enemy had no shields, even normal shots could have done the job.

"Let's move north, that's where the Jorium storage center is!" Nova waved to the group of Raiders, who followed along while Nova ran in front of them, half the Raiders were looking around and at their Omni and Radar readouts for threats, while the other half was watching Nova's ass.

Nova rolled her eyes as she ran ahead of the group of Raiders, even though their armour seemed to be oddly Psi-proof, she knew perfectly well that a number of the Raiders were most likely watching her ass, literally. It was just a part of life, a sometimes very irritating part of life… Wait, was that… "Banshees!" She cried just before she dove behind a low wall as a hail of rockets rained down on the group's position, as soon as the rockets stopped impacting and the sounds of the engines started moving past the group's position, she raised her C-10 Canister Rifle and trained it on one of the telltale blurs in the skyline that was a cloaked Banshee. Then, surprising even herself, she paused, as four missiles were going after each of the four Banshees as the pilots tried to throw them off… and epically failed.

"Well, that actually popped my over-shield… not bad." One of the Raiders remarked slowly, palming his Nanodart Launcher. The twenty-four Raiders shared a chuckle, quite a few of them had lost over-shields, though their personal shields did the job okay, if the Banshee pilots hadn't been so smug as to think one volley would do the job, perhaps a few Raiders would have been injured, but no, it didn't happen.

"Well now all we have to deal with are five Vikings and Two Missile Turrets … not that much of a problem." The Raider in charge said, there used to be eight Marauders there too, but the eight Raiders called Section 3 for this battle had dealt with them well enough, one overcharged LBR, okay sniper mode, but same idea, bolt through each one's head. The Vikings began laying down fire on the Raiders as soon as they'd fired their lasers, so now the Raiders were duking it out with machines twice their height with half their durability. Seriously, it took on average two Nanodarts to put a Viking out of commission this time, since they weren't about to let Nova see them using their sniping lasers. (One laser through a cockpit would have done the job just fine)

After the Vikings were down in pieces, the group collectively began throwing firepower at the Jorium warehouse until it brewed up, the Jorium reacting with oxygen in the air and starting a fire. "Alright boys, that job's over and done with, let's go get the rest of them." The lead Raider announced cheerfully as Nova hopped onto her transport and the Raiders boarded theirs.

* * *

A/N: Thought Tosh was just too creepy to like, and besides how did he get his grubby old paws on a Battlecruiser? This is more realistic, five Vikings and four Banshees.

* * *

_Avernus Station, September 12, 3868, 10:45 PM Hyperion Shipboard Time_

Nova dropped off on a small platform attached to the main area for the Terrazine tanks just before she intercepted a transmission from one of Tosh's marines to another "I'm telling you I saw something!"

The other marine replied nervously "We should just cover the place in auto turrets! That'll find 'em." They walked down the path toward Nova's position, or they were… until their raven abruptly blew up from its path intersecting with a pair of Zealot missiles, launched from the same Restorer Gunship that had just taken down the two Vikings to the south and landed the group of Raiders that would be supporting Nova on this mission. The Restorer had followed Nova's craft so it pulled in after her, otherwise, it would have gotten there a whole lot faster. Also, Raynor could've just bombed the station from orbit with the new Hyperion's weapons, but he wanted his boys to have some more practice outside of training.

The Raiders used their Nanodarts and fired them in bombardment mode across the chasm to eliminate the missile turret to the north from their current platform; after all, it could be troublesome later. Raynor had decided not to use the Restorer on it because it would just be boring for his boys then.

"Hey, Raynor, can you get this gate open?" Nova asked, Raynor sent his Raiders up and over the wall in response, not wanting to demonstrate the true power of Nanodarts just yet. They blew up one Terrazine tank while they passed it, and went on to take down the power generator for the gate and the troops Tosh had guarding it. The gate was opened in short order and Nova effectively walked in the front door. "The gate's open! Let's make some noise!"

Raynor rolled his eyes, they had already started making noise… He proceeded northwest, using his Raider complement to cut apart a Bunker and Missile Turret that annoyingly got in his way. They came across an open dirt area, and one short lift-off by a Raider confirmed the presence of a Siege Tank to the north, along with some enemy fortifications further out from their position. "Hey Nova, could you dominate that Tank for us?" It wasn't REALLY necessary per se but would give his boys a chance to watch some fireworks.

"Certainly…" Nova crept closer to the tank… "There we go, it'll deal with a lot of our targets for us now."

Raynor grinned "Excellent." He directed the tank to blow away a turret to the east plus a bunker (though the Marines that survived had to be picked off by Nova and the Raiders) in addition to a turret in the north protecting a lone Spectre on a secluded platform. Unfortunately, said platform was just a bit too far away for the Siege Tank's powerful but inaccurate gun to reach with any sort of accuracy… and the Raiders weren't feeling like flying at the moment. The end result? The Restorer swept down and dealt with the Spectre and a significant part of the platform's surface, in a single burst of quad light laser fire.

The Siege Tank Nova had dominated had in the meanwhile started blasting the auto-turrets deployed everywhere by Tosh's Ravens. It took a while but eventually they were all down and the Raiders moved northeast…

"I have a present for you, Mr Raynor. Best start running!" a nuke target signal appeared on the airwaves and Raynor's strategic interface painted a target with expected blast radius on the ground. He immediately ordered his troops to pull back and waited for the tactical nuke to do absolutely nothing other than leave some scorched earth.

After giving the area a minute to cool down, he ordered his troops east around the nuke crater, using the Dominated Siege Tank to blast away another couple of turrets and Nova to kill another Spectre in the process, his Raider simply following along. They then moved northwest slightly, finding a nuclear silo sitting there. Nova began hacking into it "Keep me covered while I hack into this nuke silo."

"No problem…" The Raiders responded while turning to face the oncoming wave of Marauders, Marines, Medics, and Reapers, supported by Vikings in walker mode, engaging them in an epic but brief firefight, resulting in a couple of wounded Raiders and a lot of dead goons.

"Should just take a sec, boys. Fuck…there!" Nova announced triumphantly before turning around to survey the carnage the Raiders had wreaked "Your boys do good work, Raynor. Let's go get rid of those Terrazine tanks…" She simply targeted the area (and the last Spectre signature detected in the area) with the nuke form the silo she'd just hacked. It didn't take long for the warhead to reach terminal height and begin its guided fall back toward the surface of the station, blasting apart the Terrazine tanks and killing the troops near it "We're done here, let's move out, we still have a Psi-Indoctrinator to destroy."

* * *

_Avernus Station, September 12, 3868, 11:00 PM Hyperion Shipboard Time_

Nova started off the third and last stage of the operation by dominating a Siege tank on a small platform to the north and killing the four Marines that used to stand guard around it. The tank then took out a Turret and a bunker across the chasm from it, to the east. Then the Restorer swept in from the northwest

With a cry of "Air-cav has arrived! Give us a target!" The Restorer shot down the Raven like it had the last time before landing two dozen Raiders near Nova's position. This time, though, the Restorer hung around. The Raiders immediately noticed the nuke silo that was to their east across the chasm, they used their propulsion pods to get across and secured the area immediately for Nova, leaving her with only the Restorer for support.

The Tech 3 AA Gunship moved ahead and shot up a Siege Tank on the far side of a small chasm in two bursts of Quad Light Laser fire before peeling off and heading west to clear the platform there of Vikings and Hellions. The Siege Tank Nova had dominated tore down the turrets that had been behind the enemy Siege Tank. They were by no means strong enough to have resisted the Restorer much, but Raynor was trying to save time.

Tosh sent a transmission "I'm getting tired of this. Why don't you just DIE!"

"You were right earlier, Raynor. A well-placed nuke would wreak some serious havoc on those defences. They aren't exactly light, but your frigate seems to be doing quite well for its size…"

Raynor shrugged and grinned at the camera "What can I say? It's a tough little birdie."

The group of Raiders, after securing the nuclear silo up north and wiping out all the enemies near it, including two Spectres, moved south, using their quantum propulsion packs to make the flight a very short one. "Hey, there's an Ultralisk in that pen!" One of them noted.

"Let's let it loose on Tosh." Another suggested, so they retreated to a respectable distance as the Restorer opened up and let the Ultralisk out. As expected, it rampaged northeast, right through Tosh's defence lines.

Tosh's transmission had him shaking his head "Never took you for a traitor. You've fallen a long, long way, brother."

The Restorer was responsible for destroying the stolen Thor after it killed the Ultralisk, while the Raiders provided an assist against the smaller enemies. The Siege Tank rained down long-ranged death on two Spectres before the whole group pulled back from another tactical nuke strike. Then they went over/around the hot crater (Nova went around, while the Tank was magnetically lifted by the Restorer) to the other side, where it set up shop and toasted the last two turrets providing detection for Tosh's base's southern side.

Raynor gave a bit of advice "That Psi-Indoctrinator's heavily guarded. Nuking it's gonna be our best bet." He said when he saw there were two more turrets flanking the thing.

Nova followed the advice, effectively walking into the base before calling down the nuke, killing the last Spectres as well as the Psi-Indoctrinator as the Raiders tore down the remaining structures.

Tosh put in a menacing (or Raynor thought it might have been supposed to be menacing…) transmission "This ain't the end. I'll be seeing you again real soon." He growled before the communiqué cut out and Raynor laughed.

* * *

_Avernus Station, September 13, 3868, 1:53 AM Hyperion Shipboard Time_

The Hyperion had been holding orbit over Avernus Station while the Raiders systematically ransacked it of all resell-able goods, packing them onto freighters to be sold discreetly in KMC or Umojan black markets for extra credits. They didn't need it to buy upgrades (usually, since the Coalition would generally provide tech upon request, within reason) but it would be handy to have all the major mercenary groups in the cluster working with them instead of with Mengsk. Another healthy side-effect was the fact that the Raiders could afford fine cuisine, purchased in bulk from high-end restaurants all over the Sector. According to the recruits… it sure wasn't what they were expecting from a group of so-called rag-tag terrorists.

The Adjutant came on the line as Raynor watched his men salvage the supplies and equipment Tosh had on the station "Incoming transmission… it appears to be Gabriel Tosh, will you take the call Captain?"

Raynor snorted "Didn't take long for him to gloat. Patch him through."

Gabriel Tosh had his jaw set forward and anger in his eyes when his image appeared "You're gonna pay for that, man." He showed Raynor a voodoo doll

Raynor couldn't help laughing before he finally settled down and asked "Is that supposed to be me?"

Tosh took out his knife "You're gonna regret crossing me." He stabbed the doll in the back.

* * *

Tychus, still in the laboratory looking over big badda boom technologies and making recommendations to Stetmann and Swann's projects, blinked as his armour's HUD told him it had just deflected a psychic attack "Now where the flying fuck did that come from?" He said slowly.

* * *

Gabriel Tosh blinked stupidly on the screen as Raynor grinned at his utter failure to do anything "You're a scumbag, Tosh. I spent my whole life fighting men like you." _Psychos who just want to use people to let even worse people or things into the world, yeah, that's his kind… and Mengsk's._ Tosh hurled the doll away in a fit of fury at Raynor's words.

* * *

"Alright, whoever's there, stop it." Tychus said as his armour's psionic barriers reported another strike deflected, he looked at his HUD sensor board and then glanced around the lab, it was still just Stetmann and the Doc, nothing weird, unless it was those samples Stetmann had or those artefacts in the containment field of the lab…

* * *

"Huh. You and me, we're both the same. We both do anything to get the job done." Tosh snarled, pointing an accusing finger

Raynor shook his head sadly "No. You don't get it at all. And now, you never will."

Tosh snorted "What you gonna do, man? I'm light years away."

Raynor shook his head and grinned cryptically "Not me." He said just before Tosh's neck developed a rather large hole and the man fell off his chair. Nova de-cloaked after making sure Tosh was dead. Raynor had settled his face into a slightly bored expression "Huh. Cold and efficient, reminds me from someone I used to know. Glad you're not after me."

Nova shrugged "Not today anyway. I'll see you around, Jim." She winked before bending down to take something from the floor and Tosh's corpse.

Matt Horner had walked up during the conversation and now made a comment "Don't you ever meet any normal girls?" Nova took the voodoo doll in her hand and stabbed it again with Tosh's knife, winking at Raynor as she cloaked and the transmission cut out. Matt shook his head sadly at Raynor's poor luck with women.

* * *

"Whatever that is… it's not getting through anyways, and according to the armour manual… if a psychic attack doesn't get through the first time, it never will, that's nice to know…" Tychus muttered to himself, going back to the schematics he'd been going over in the lab.

* * *

Matt checked the comm. logs before raising and eyebrow and reporting his discovery to Raynor "Nova transmitted the Ghost training specs to us, we should be able to field our own Ghosts now, assuming the Psi-sensitive Raiders agree with it."

"If Mengsk finds out, she's gonna have some explaining to do."

Horner shrugged "I think she can cover her tracks. That's what Ghosts do, right?"

Raynor nodded "That, and cut people's throats."

"Right… anyways, I won't expect anything more in the way of gratitude from Nova. But I think we did the right thing by getting rid of Tosh."

"Yeah, that sort of madness… too dangerous to let run loose like that." Raynor shook his head "I'm gonna go check up with Rory in the armoury… see if we really can field our own Ghosts now…"

"I'll see you around, sir." Horner nodded respectfully, as soon as Raynor left, he sent off an alert message to Swann "Rory, Jim's on his way down, if you and Tychus are conspiring, better stop now."

"Got it, Matt." Swann said "We were talking over the newest schematics Nova sent us and how they'll benefit our Raiders, that a problem?"

"Nah, go ahead."

* * *

_Armoury, Hyperion, Over Avernus Station, September 13, 3868_

"Nova promised us access to Ghost technology for helping her. Has she come through with it yet?"

"Your girl came through, alright. I got a few new upgrades we're working on too. Seth sent us some nice stuff that made most of Nova's stuff other than that Psi-dominate ability redundant."

"She ain't 'my girl', Swann." Raynor used air quotes that time.

Swann stroked his chin for a moment "Hmm… scary female assassin type that's gonna wind up trying to kill you someday? I don't know, hotshot, she sure seems like your type. By the way, we managed to make our Raiders able to pull everything every type of infantry in the Sector can now, want to see it?"

"Sure, why the hell not?" Raynor said moments before he came face-to-face with a familiar blue chest plate that materialized out of thin air. "Oh, hey Tychus, so you guys finally got that Cybran Cloaking tech to work with our suits?"

"Sure did, though we referenced the Ghost suits on how to wire the things up, and we're still not Radar-stealthed." Tychus said, shrugging. "By the way, Jimmy, That little Nova chick was something else. You ever think about hitting that, Jimmy?"

"Heh, that girl's nothing but trouble, Tychus. She's got her hands full hunting down the rest of Tosh's psychopathic Spectres, best just to stay out of her way."

Tychus frowned down at his old buddy "That wasn't any answer. All these missed opportunities... There's something very wrong with you, man."

"Sure, Tychus, by the way, I thought you spent most of your time hanging around the laboratory these days… something catch your eye?" Raynor teased.

"Yeah, that ACU Simulator, wish we had a real ACU, would be the sweetest piece of mayhem I'd ever be likely to get my hands on…" Tychus said with a dreamy look on his face.

"Anything else?" Raynor prompted.

"Well the Doc was pretty nice" Swann facepalmed behind Tychus's back and Horner did the same on the bridge listening in to the conversation. "But as I said before she has her eyes set on some knight in shining armour, and I really do prefer the company of the big guns in the lab and armoury."

"Hmm, well let's go to the lab to see how stuff is going down there, make sure Stetmann isn't at risk of blowing up the lab…"

* * *

_Laboratory, Hyperion, Over Avernus Station, September 13, 3868_

"I don't like that Nova. I wonder how many people she's killed?"

"Probably no more than me or Tychus here." Jim said, causing Tychus to shake his head sadly, Jimmy never was good with women…

"Well, at least you guys did it for the right reasons… we have some new and interesting upgrades available, by the way, sir."

After getting the Gauss Chaingun Turret and UEF Plating upgrades for the bunker, from the Zerg research tree (the latter had been inspired by the overlapping plating of Ultralisks and the former by the fact that Zerg defences didn't need crews to be deadly), Raynor went over to chat with Stetmann for a while before asking Tychus "Hey, want to go for a couple drinks in the Cantina?"

Tychus turned an interesting shade of green in a few short seconds "Nah, Jimmy, I'll come with you, but I'm passing on the drinks."

"Adjutant got the better of ya?"

"I don't like the sweet drinks, and the amount that girl downed… I was throwing up everything I'd downed before she even started getting tipsy…" Tychus got out between gritted teeth. "Only reason I'm not passed out right now is because the Doc gave me a couple hangover shots earlier… I really don't want to drink right now."

"Tychus, someday you'll realize that the Adjutant is an AI in a bio-synthetic fusion body, she has the ability to filter out alcohol and toxins from what she intakes and metabolize them to something else that's completely harmless. She could out-drink the whole ship if she wanted, don't mess with her."

"You were going to tell me this when?" Tychus asked as they boarded one of the elevators of the Hyperion.

* * *

_Cantina, Hyperion, Over Avernus Station, September 13, 3868_

The latest UNN excerpt came on, Kate Lockwell, as usual, spoke from the picture-in-picture box "This is Kate Lockwell, live for UNN. Dominion Security Forces are telling us tonight that their agents have hunted down and executed the leaders of a subversive rebel group calling itself Project: Shadowblade."

The news ticker said more "New schools curriculum adds 'alien awareness'", Jim snorted at that, and "Kyla Velassi to appear in troop-support show"

Donny Vermillion spoke up "Great news, Kate. Did they say how they feel about this?"

The ticker rolled on with worrying (sort of) news "Modernised Battlecruiser unveiled", of course, it would be miles from matching up to the Hyperion, most likely, but still it wasn't a great thing. Then again, it could be useful in holding the Zerg at bay, so it wasn't all that bad either…

Kate looked from side to side of the camera "Um, no, Donny, they didn't, but I imagine they're quite happy?"

The next ticker item was definitely a piece of good news, assuming it was true, which, statistically speaking, seemed likely, considering how victories and defeats had been announced with similar regularity. There was no reason to start lying now, and the core worlds weren't at risk, so Raynor was inclined to believe "Zerg raiders stopped at Lakius" to be true.

"There you have it, Dominion Security, destroying the shadowy espionage arm of Jim Raynor's terrorist organization."

Kate frowned "Wait, what? Dominion Security didn't say anything about Raynor…"

The news ticker rolled on as Donny Vermillion turned off the picture-in-picture in a truly pathetic attempt to stop Kate from not hating on the Raiders. "Kyla Velassi released from rehab. Velassi: I'm back!" It just had to be useless news this time though…

"Let's go to Commercial." Vermillion said hastily. Raynor and Tychus shared a laugh at this.

* * *

COALITION MILITARY CODEX: RAIDER (RAYNOR'S RAIDERS)

The near ubiquitous infantry unit of Raynor's Raiders, these soldiers represent a fusion of the bulky, unwieldy CMC Armours and the sleek, compact and powerful technologies of the Coalition of Species. If slotted into the ranking of Marine armours of the Coalition, this would easily be classed as Super-Heavy. The main reason why versions of these units are not fielded by the Coalition is that if a combat situation really comes to demand this type of super-heavy armour, it would likely be more economical and simple to use regular land units i.e. Mech Marines or Land Scouts. Raiders are capable of handily outmatching any known infantry one-on-one in one way or another except perhaps Protoss High Templar or Dark Templar.

Raider armour plating is upgraded to Coalition standards, more specifically, UEF standards, as the UEF plating types are generally accepted as the most durable overall in the Coalition. The alloys used have proven far more durable than neo-steel and indeed many Protoss alloys, and will endure tremendous amounts of explosive, heat or kinetic damage just as all Coalition armour plates can (UEF plating is generally thicker, hence why it was employed here). It is extremely resistant to corrosion, only vulnerable to certain molten salts, pure oxygen, and certain halogens at extremely high temperatures, due to the iridium weave lays of the armour plates, rendering Zerg acid attacks utterly useless. Indeed, the armour can even stand up to aqua regia (concentrated hydrochloric and nitric acid, which can dissolve gold) without damage. The refractive/reflective nature of the plating, developed after years of battling laser, beam, plasma and later Phasic munitions, helps greatly in dissipating damage from energy weapons i.e. phase disruptors, Psi blades, etc. The plating in itself results in near-absurd durability to most light to medium weapons for this type of power armour.

Additional durability is provided by the personal shields that loosely hug the armour's surface, which can absorb huge amounts of punishment by itself before falling. Also, the armour has structural integrity fields, which are in fact the main reason why the Coalition uses armour at all. Armour in the Coalition is effectively the conduit to structural fields, little more, except against what are considered small-arms. The spherical over-shield bubble, derived from Aeon shield technology as it is more power-efficient than Seraphim shields for a given power, though not as much radius is possible, seals the deal, creating a suit able to endure overwhelming Zerg or Terran forces. For example, the armour had enough durability to survive a Brutalisk strike, which is able to kill or severely injure a Protoss Zealot.

The Raider is also one of if not THE most heavily-armed infantry units known to exist. Standard armament now includes a Gauss Chaingun, Infantry Nanodart Launcher, Dual Flamethrowers, Temporal Fizz Launcher, Laser Battle Rifle (locked in sniper mode) and Coalition-issue SMGs as sidearms. Though, as expected, most Raiders refer to the SMGs as carbines and never use them unless their suit power is disabled, they need to rely on backup power for movement of their power armour, and the battery of the weapon provides all the firepower they'll be having until their suit slowly manages to self-repair the primary power core, running off of backup power generation.

The Gauss Chaingun is a multi-purpose weapon, generally mounted on the right hip and will lock onto the thigh armour when not in use, the barrels retracting so it does not hit the ground. When in use, the Raider needs only pick it up by the handle, rotate it up, lock it into their arm armour (disengaging the anchorage on the hip to allow greater flexibility) and start firing as soon as the power interface locks in. The Infantry Nanodart Launcher is effectively a long-range anti-tank/anti-air missile with horrifically high yield. Normally, the Launcher is found anchored to the back of the armour in one of the Raider's many storage slots. When in use, the Launcher is pulled off the back and used in a fashion similar to modern rifles, since having it there normally would be simply too unwieldy and weapons control becomes too complicated and irritating. Please note that when using the Launcher, the Gauss Chaingun is generally returned to its locked position first. The dual Coalition-issue flamethrowers, using white phosphorus and napalm solution with some Thermite mixed in colloid/suspension fashion, are built into the armour on the outside of the arms, intended for dealing out horrifying amounts of pain up close and personal against melee enemies. The Temporal Fizz Launcher is a weapon mounted under the left arm and used for flak and slowing down enemies using Chronotron effects. The Laser Battle Rifle, usually locked in sniper mode unless using the Nanodart Launcher, in which case it may function as a supplemental suppression weapon while locking in a shot with the Launcher. Otherwise, the LBR is used for long-range kills with its Overcharge mode, which can be fired once every five seconds or so (so as to not overheat the weapon)

The Raider Power Suit comes with several other welcome abilities. The ability to self-repair even if the primary power core is offline is but one of them. Raiders can cloak (for short periods of time), fly, supplement the self-repair systems of the vehicles Raynor's Raiders use, and heal themselves and others. This is not to mention the Omni Sensors (short-range, only about eighty meters), chest holoconsole, advanced HUD visual targeting systems, palm weapons and power interfaces, cyberwarfare suite (albeit limited), limited reclamation capability of goods, and full NBCP protection. The Raider Power Suit, like all Coalition-derived armours, is able to keep out nuclear fallout, biological and chemical contaminants in addition to psionic or biotic attacks, though for the latter two the suit will take the damage unless it's a pure mental attack, in which case it is impossible to target the Raider. The Power Suit can fabricate using its quantum power core nutrient slush, water, medi-gel and omni-gel (used for repairing hardware), though its omni-gel fabrication and reclamation capabilities are nowhere near those of Raider SCVs. Also, it has an onboard stasis program able to handle even partial dismemberment, as long as ambient conditions are not extreme i.e. space or lava.

Please note however that cloak and flight duration is extremely limited compared to other Coalition-derived armours due to the bulk of Raider armour. Flight is limited to one minute effective flight, beyond which speed is reduced by half and weapons cannot be powered due to all power being devoted to keeping the Raider aloft and moving. Considering the Raider's high top flight speed (288 km/h) and good acceleration, this means a maximum flight distance of a little under 4500 meters straight-line. Rory Swann decided it wasn't a good idea for the raiders to fly more than 100 meters up relative to the nearest large mass just as a safety measure, even though the Quantum Propulsion Packs can auto-correct and dampen the power of any falls. Typical Coalition Power Armour (Heavy) can fly for up to five minutes at the speed mentioned above, and can use Afterburners and Superchargers (which increase speed to 1.5x and 2x respectively but does the same to fuel consumption rate), Medium and Light Armours can go on even longer. Navigation is extremely simple, you effectively select a destination on your chest-projected holoconsole and the suit will take you there, though spam-clicking is not advised as although the inertial manipulation systems are advanced, if you click too often they will let you fell the suit jerking you around. This pack will also get you away from falling objects that your shields/fields/armour cannot handle, though it may be an unpleasant jerking sensation.

Cloaking also takes power, but a Raider can only cloak for up to two minutes (starting at full power reserves and NOT flying during the process) or, if flying AND cloaked, 40 seconds. Thankfully, draining power reserves does not mean dropped shields dropped structural fields or crashing, it just means weapons are inoperable and you fly slower until you land. Note that due to all weapons being powered through arm or palm interfaces, it is IMPOSSIBLE to run out of ammunition, unfortunately for the Raider's enemies. Note that reclaimed items do not take energy from the reserves and are sent to the Hyperion to be shipped off to black markets in the Kel-Moria Combine, Umojan Protectorate or occasionally Dominion. This provides a rather large income for Raynor's Raider that is spent on various items.

It is necessary to point out the Raider's ability to fulfil every infantry role and some vehicular roles of the other Terran factions. Marine, Firebat and Marauder roles are obvious considering their weapons. The Reaper, Goliath and Viking roles are done considering their Quantum Propulsion Packs and Infantry Nanodart Launchers (yes, they can be fired LITERALLY on-the-fly if you still have "fuel" reserves). The Medic/SCV role is covered (except harvesting minerals and gas) with their medi-gel/omni-gel injectors/dispensers, this is part of why more Raiders are female than is typical of any other Koprulu Sector infantry other than Medics. The Ghost operative role is more or less covered by the LBR's Overcharge (aka Snipe) ability, cloaking, and their propulsion pods. Also, Raiders could always call down tactical missile strikes (from the Hyperion's Loa Tactical Missile Bays) or artillery, it was just a matter of contacting Raynor, and hence the Ghost role is dealt with. Also, the Hellion's role of fast-attack flamethrower is dealt with by the propulsion pods for speed and arm flamethrowers.

The Raider power armour however does have some major shortcomings compared to other Coalition-issue power armours. It is quite unwieldy and bulky, so is not very good in extreme urban warfare; hence it often fits a support role where heavier units (i.e. Land Scouts or Light Assault Bots) cannot go. Its flight systems and cloaking systems drain more energy out of smaller power reserves due to a lot of space taken up by the weapons' power systems, and its total "Health" as most call it isn't quite as much as say UEF Heavy Armour. It also cannot deploy much in the way of Tech or Biotic attacks, but the Psi-sensitive members of the Raiders prefer it to all other options simply for its feeling of safety. In the Coalition, when these become needed in open battle, deployment of standard ACU warfare units is preferred as they are so much easier to control.

Overall, it is clear why the Raider is the near-ubiquitous infantry unit of Raynor's Raiders, despite its (minor unless you're in the Coalition) shortcomings, it's an inexpensive generalist that has been called "overpowered" by the very people who wear the power armour. With the automatic medi-gel and omni-gel systems, along with the Hyperion's medical facilities being upgraded to handle UEF prosthetics, Aeon flash-cloning and Cybran bio-synthetic fusion, there have been no Raider deaths thus far. It is unsurprising that Raynor's Raiders have never seen the need for another infantry unit other than the SCV, since the Raider can do everything everyone else can, at a far lower price than a collection of the other units, with higher durability. After all, who wouldn't want a fast, tough, inexpensive, stealthy heavy hitter with long range that can gather valuable items in mere moments?

END OF CODEX ENTRY

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE GO TO "RAYNOR'S RAIDERS", "GAUSS CHAINGUN", etc.

* * *

A/N: Hope I answered any questions about extra cash flow and where they spend it…

Also, I don't think the Raider is perfect, it doesn't match up favourably to Coalition units, and Coalition Marine armours are speedier and stealthier with better sensors, but compared to the stuff in the Koprulu Sector, well… Let's just say that Vikings would need a rather large (4+ to one) numerical advantage to beat ONE Raider on the GROUND if the Raider can see them coming (which he can, unless they just dropped straight down near him). Hence, the Raider comes pretty damn close to being perfect by Koprulu Sector standards.

I just realized… it's the Coalition's counterpart to the Mgalekgolo of Halo (Hunters), though I'll have to scale down the Covenant's ships somewhat to make the tech level more consistent between space and ground, since the ground units are absurdly weak. Note: The Covenant ground units will be scaled up, but compared to the Coalition's Marines… they'll still be absurdly weak (Coalition Civilian Armour is a lot better than MJOLNIR was, is or ever will be, so yeah), not to mention when they first meet an ACU warfare unit. "In space, we won some of the battles, on the ground, well…" (Unknown Covenant member, several years into the future from where this fic is set.)


	7. 28 Minutes Later

A/N: I too am sad about getting rid of voodoo Tychus, but it had to be done to show the power of Raider Armours' (Tychus got his armour upgraded as mentioned earlier) abilities in shielding from most psionic attacks. As we know a knife's psionically transmitted force to a slab of plating that can resist Hydralisk Spines, even without structural fields, will do nothing. I was considering throwing Tychus around the lab, but too much risk of cracking something important. And yes, the lab looks different as in much longer (in depth), though the artefact containment fields, and the two sample tanks are both still there in their regular locations. Eventually I may get on Deviant Art or something and post some pictures, but not until I'm done most of this fic.

A Shrike Turret is garbage compared to a Gauss Chaingun Turret (two Chainguns), and I replaced the durable bunker thing with UEF plating upgrade. The standard bunker was based on Cybran plating since it was easier to store and move, though thinner… but yes we got both upgrades, the new computers are just so much nicer, and Swann/Stetmann/Tychus corroborate now, so yeah. Besides, didn't you notice they get so many fewer new units? That's because the Raider covers a LOT of unit roles, for a lesser price, greater durability, speed, firepower and often range. Also, some of the upgrade options will not be present, though they may be used for other purposes (see next chapter).

Oh yeah, beam weapons equal particle beam weapons other than lasers. Sorry.

* * *

Chapter 7: 28 Minutes Later

_Auditorium, Hyperion, September 12, 3868_

The Auditorium of the Hyperion was the place most presentations were conducted in, such as the secret meeting Tychus, Swann and Stetmann had called just before the cloaking device was installed in the Raiders' armour. This time, it was Jim Raynor who'd called the meeting for all the Psi-sensitive members of Raynor's Raiders, asking their opinion on becoming Ghosts.

"You know, boys, Ghosts have permanent cloaking, that might be a plus if you want it, though personally I'm thinking we shouldn't bother fielding ghosts but remember, it's up to you guys to choose…"

"Sir, may I speak to the crowd?" Raynor nodded, so the Adjutant stood up and walked up onto the stage before turning around and looking at the crowd of Raiders, talking to themselves "Come on, what is there to choose from?" She leaned forward, causing her breasts to jiggle "Why would we wear a skin-tight paper-thin wetsuit" She flung her left arm toward the screen that took up the center of the stage, showing a Ghost suit "that leaves our asses hanging wide open for a Spine Crawler or Sunken Colony to shove its tentacle up there when we could have a suit of armour tougher and with more firepower than a Siege Tank?" She waved her arms around to make a point, noting the sudden silence of the large room and the slight echo her voice had.

Raynor cleared his throat at the crowd, who seemed to (the males at least) collectively shake themselves out of a stupor "Uh, Adjutant… I think you lost most of the men in the crowd after the 'shove its tentacle up there' part," Well, they had been either busy watching the adjutant's bio-synthetic fusion body's ample, pert breasts bounce around (and her well-rounded hips move) as she waved her arms about, considering the image of the cybernetic woman being tentacle raped, or shivering in fear at the idea of being impaled through the ass on a tentacle. Obviously, none of the Raiders liked the idea of being used as sex toys by Zerg, but the fear was especially strong in the last group, most of which had suffered injuries from Zerg at one point or another, or borne witness to others being impaled by Zerg "but I think they get the gist of what you're trying to say."

The final conclusive vote among the Psi-sensitive Raiders was that fielding Ghosts would be about as pointless as physically possible. This was because Raider armour had sniper capability, cloaking capability, the ability to request tactical missile strikes from the Hyperion or artillery strikes from the Serenity, and EMP ammunition in the form of the Infantry Nanodart Launcher (it was an electron-based weapon, meaning it had inherent EMP properties in addition to the 400 kg TNT equivalent yield). Ghost armour was weaker, slower, less mobile (courtesy of Quantum Propulsion Packs), packed one hell of a lot less of a punch, and less environmentally sensitive. Cybran Light Armour would be a better deal for its long-term cloaking capacity, but absolutely none of the Raiders wanted to surrender their cornucopia of heavy weapons.

"Alright… I guess we're not fielding Ghosts then." Raynor said, the vote had been unanimous. The Raiders cheered at the announcement "See you boys later!"

* * *

_Bridge, Hyperion, September 12, 3868_

Tychus adjusted his crotch armour "You know, Jim, I kind of feel bad for turning on Tosh like that, even though he was a creep I really wanted to kick the ass of."

"Tychus, we got some data on Jorium and Terrazine from the Coalition of Species. They're both involved in indoctrination, you know, mental enslavement, also, Tosh… he was an agent of the Reapers. I hope you've seen the relevant files on them…"

"The REAPERS?" Tychus was gaping for the first time Jim could remember "You're kidding, right? Those gigantic starship things?"

"Well… the Coalition found his name and Saren's on a remnant of a database from Sovereign, the rest of the file, well most of the files, were completely corrupted." Raynor told his old friend. "Weren't you here when we talked to the crew about it? Oh yeah, you were too busy in the simulator…"

"Hey, Jim, what's that?" Tychus had suddenly noticed something on Jim's console.

"Call from the lab… hope it's not anything overly freaky-ass."

"Jim, refugee populations from across the Sector have been using Meinhoff as a staging point. But with so many people in close proximity, an epidemic of some kind has started sweeping through the camps, according to the news." She began to look scared "Please, my people need help! We've got to do something before it's too late!"

"Alright, Doc, Adjutant, what have you got for me?"

The cybernetic woman was this time not caught in an inconvenient position "Known for its rich, abundant mineral deposits, Meinhoff has been controlled by Kel-Moria Combine for many years. Recently, however, it has become a haven for refugees escaping the invading Zerg."

Raynor nodded before turning to the first video feed "So what are we looking at, Doc?"

Ariel Hanson looked down toward where her console readouts were "Our readings indicate some kind of bio-infestation is spreading through the refugee camps. Even the buildings are being covered by it!" She brought up a visual of an infested building.

Raynor frowned "I've seen this kind of thing before. It's a Zerg virus. All we can do is burn it out. Every one of those infested buildings has to be destroyed."

Hanson paled, if that was even possible "But…" She frowned and looked down at the video feed from Meinhoff "Where are all the people? Oh no! Those...things are infested refugees?" Her eyes widened as she watched the zombie-like creatures wander about "This is a nightmare!"

Raynor agreed "Yeah, this ain't good at all."

The video feed showed the sunrise, all the infested either returning to the buildings or dying where they stood "It looks like they return to the buildings by day and emerge only at night. The virus must make them vulnerable to the high UV output of Meinhoff's star…"

"Then we'll hit the infested buildings before the first day is over. Don't worry, Doc, we'll contain this thing before it can get any further."

* * *

_Meinhoff, September 12, 3868_

The Continental touched down with its units just after the Restorers did with a round thirty-six Raiders "Alright, boys, follow the bots and you should be fine, got me? Feel free to shoot any infested you see, and patch your sensors to the units if you detect anything underground." The bots had a lot bigger visual range than the Raiders had Radar or Omni, rather obviously, but the Raiders actually had Omni that could actually identify Zerg reliably as targets, whereas even Mech Marines, the smallest of the war machines, had a hard time targeting Zerglings because of their overly small size.

Tychus looked to Jim from where he stood beside Jim at the strategic control console "You going sweet on that doctor lady, Jimmy? I sure can't see why else we'd keep fighting for these damn dirt farmers." Raynor didn't bother responding, directing his units north from where he'd landed them, the Bricks doing most of the work, blasting the buildings to ash with hundreds of tons of TNT equivalent in each Heavy Disintegrator Pulse Laser bolt. "Well, that was pretty fast…" Tychus remarked.

Hanson detected something weird up ahead, it seemed to be an infested mall that was beginning to bear a resemblance to a Hatchery "Is that…some sort of nest? You'd better destroy it!" Raynor did so as soon as the Bricks moved up, the Mech Marines following, using High Explosive munitions (unlike standard penetrators, these actually fit almost the whole bore of the 70mm Tomcat LMGs the walkers used) to clear up whatever was left. Moving at a steady 24 km/h, they marched north for a while until scanners revealed that sector to be clear.

"Alright, this sector is clear! Nice work boys, now move on to the next area!"

"Hey boss!" the Sergeant in charge asked Raynor "Could we use the Continental for a ghetto gunship? Things would go faster that way…"

"Hmm… you won't be able to use your flamethrowers but I guess the plasma cannons on the continental can handle that, go ahead, boys, board the Continental." Continental-class transports had firing ports on the outside of each of the main body sections, with ports on the front and back of the forward and back engine/control blocks too, they could be used for Ghetto gunship work by infantry.

The ground formation sped up noticeably, pressing northward toward the next infested area to cleanse (by way of blasting into ash). They pounded everything that stood before them into the dust in seconds, utterly razing the infested buildings to dust. "Now THAT is how you do it!" Raynor said triumphantly.

"Scans are picking up a unique Zerg bio-signature. It appears to be a burrowing creature that is underground during the day and emerges only at night." The Adjutant announced, having spotted the creatures through focused Omni scans.

"Sir, if you kill one of those creatures, Stetmann can study it and perhaps learn something…" Matt said just before Raynor sent the Continental toward the two signatures highlighted on the strategic screen.

"Going there, Matt… Doc, how's the current sector looking?"

"Looks like that sector is clear, Jim. Better move on to the next one." The ground units wheeled east toward the next infested sectors of the refugee camp while the Continental found itself the target of a number of Spore Crawlers, which were laughable in their utter futility against the transport's massively powerful shields, almost like they would off the shields of a Carrier, though the shields were less powerful, of course.

The return fire consisted of large numbers of Temporal Fizzes, Gauss Chaingun bolts, and of course the massive hammer-blows of the four Plasma Cannons mounted on the Continental, smashing and vaporizing the Spore Crawlers within a couple shots. The Continental then dropped down near the burrows of the creatures, designated Infesters, and disgorged the Raiders, who immediately scrambled back onboard when a cloud came overhead and blocked out the sun.

"Infested marines! Oh hell Jimmy, I don't care for that notion one bit." A rather large number of infested marines had swarmed out of the infested buildings, particularly the barracks, and forced the Continental to lift off. They fired at the Continental and its shields without doing anything to the gigantic transport, while return fire tore them to ribbons or in some cases vapour.

"I don't either, Tychus, I don't either." Raynor navigated the group of land units south again after they exterminated their sector of the infestation. "Now let's get those samples…" The Continental had cleared out the infested marines and buildings of the area, with Raider help, and landed. They fired on the ground where the Zerg were, which forced the Zerg to un-burrow and attack by spraying what was identified as an infesting solution of Zerg Super Cells at the Raiders. Considering the advanced NBCP protection of Raider armour, and the fact that not even aqua regia could corrode the armour plating… the Zerg attack was absolutely useless, other than knocking some Raiders on their asses with the momentum transfer.

"It's nice to have our Coalition-derived armours, eh?" Raynor smirked at Tychus, who rolled his eyes in response.

"Thanks, Captain Obvious."

Hanson looked over her scans again and smiled "You've dealt a serious blow to their numbers, Jim, you're doing great." She said, the land units had cleared out the central area of the former refugee compound rather thoroughly, meeting up with the Raiders and Continental at the southeast corner where they met up for a moment before they marched north again

Tychus suddenly frowned and put his fingers on the bottom of his visor in a thoughtful pose "Ya know, I think I saw this in a movie once…"

"Alright, this sector is clear! Nice work boys, now move on to the next area!" The Continental flew north, holding position above the ground units. "Keep your eyes peeled. There's gonna be more of them out there."

"Reckon we must've killed thousands of 'em in the last twenty minutes. Can't be many left, right?"

Matt looked at his scans and reported "You're almost done! There are just a handful of infested bio-signs left. I'll highlight their locations on your map." Raynor zoomed out and noted that all the infested bio-signs were exclusively in the northeast sector of the compound.

"Thanks for the highlights, Matt, heading out now." Raynor announced, driving his forces north and using his Continental and Restorers to flank the infested area by patrolling the western border, making sure no stragglers got through.

Considering the hundreds of tons of TNT equivalent in each Brick laser bolt and the hundreds of kilos if not more in the smaller weapons, it obviously did not take long to eliminate every single infested bio-signature. Once the last one fell, the Bricks, as in previous sectors, laid down a through pounding of the ground with their Heavy Disintegrator Pulse Lasers, leaving nothing but fields of glass. A silence settled upon the bridge of the Hyperion before Ariel Hanson exclaimed ecstatically, having come to the bridge during the cleansing of the camp "You did it, Jim! I knew you wouldn't let us down! Now I've got to get my people somewhere safe."

Raynor shook his head sadly "Ain't gonna be so easy, darling. This whole sector's crawling with Zerg."

Hanson looked up toward the holographic stars of the Hyperion's "windows" for a moment before speaking "There's got to be somewhere out there the aliens haven't touched… some undiscovered paradise waiting just for us."

Raynor had to suppress a snicker, what wishful thinking!

* * *

_Bridge, Hyperion, September 14, 3868_

"Well Ariel, found a world for your people yet?"

Hanson's face lit up with a broad grin "Yes! An unclaimed planet called Haven. It's near the edge of Protoss space, but it seems safe enough." On cue, the Adjutant brought up a hologram of the planet on the main holoprojector on the bridge.

Raynor shrugged "It'll have to do. Your people need to lay low for a while."

Matt Horner, who had stood by until now, asked, frowning "Aren't either of you worried the colonists might be infested?"

Hanson immediately came down from her cloud nine, directly onto Matt, so much so that Raynor was acutely reminded of the operation code he'd used for the escape from Tarsonis so many years ago, The Hammer Falls "How could you even suggest that? They're perfectly healthy!" She exclaimed indignantly

Raynor frowned "I hope so, Ariel. The Protoss don't mess around when it comes to infestation. Just in case, maybe you should start looking into some kind of cure for the Zerg virus."

Ariel frowned too "Conventional wisdom says a cure is impossible… the virus mutates too fast. But I'll look into it."

"Just do what you can. That's all anyone's asking…"

"Alright, Jim, I'll be seeing you." She said before she left the bridge, on her way to one of the elevators to get to the lab she had taken up residence in.

Once she'd left, Matt turned back to Raynor, a worried look on his face "Kerrigan's learning some new tricks. The infestation on Meinhoff seemed particularly... virulent."

Raynor shook his head sadly, looking down at his console "It's about the worst thing I can imagine, losing who you are like that, all the while being slowly twisted into a damn monster."

"If any of Dr. Hanson's people on Haven are infested…" Matt trailed off, looking out toward the stars.

"I know, it's just a matter of time before the Protoss come looking for them. Still, I have a history with the Protoss. If it comes to that, maybe I can talk 'em down."

* * *

_Armoury, Hyperion, September 14, 3868_

Swann shook his head as he dug into his lunch, a plate of still lightly steaming fried rice. Raynor observed that the stout mechanic's hands didn't look nearly as greasy as they had in the years before they'd met the Coalition, things really had taken a turn for the better for the Raiders after all… ": Never thought we'd be back on Meinhoff again. Ugh. We broke our backs trying to make a life on that rock… motherfucking Kel-Morians squeezing us dry. Day we rose up… we just couldn't take it anymore, ya know?"

Raynor nodded, his hand balling into a fist at the memories of the Confederacy and then Mengsk turning on him "I feel ya. Man's got a duty to stand up and be counted sometimes."

Swann waved him off dismissively "Ah hell, we were stupid. Having right on your side ain't no match for gauss guns and combat walkers. Lots of folks died for nothing. If you hadn't shown up when you did…" Back in the day, the Raiders, then still a ramshackle rebel group, had come down onto Meinhoff and fought the might of nearly the entire KMC into negotiating with the rebels via ingenious tactics. To this day, many of the Raiders were still the same Meinhoff colonists that had joined up back then, in decidedly different gear.

Raynor put a hand on his friend's shoulder, squeezing lightly in a show of support "Hey, your people bought their own freedom, paid for it in blood. Me and Matt, we were just glad to help." He gave Swann a pat on the back as he finished his lunch box and threw it in the garbage bin in the armoury. "It was nice chatting with you, Rory… now, to check on Tychus… any idea where he is? He seems to be all over the place these days, and he likes to annoy me with his suit cloaking way too much…"

"He's in the lab, Cowboy, have fun chatting with the Doc!" Right after Raynor left and the door sealed behind him, Swann swallowed his latest mouthful of food and switched on his comm. "Tychus, Jim's headed your way, try to give him more of a reason to spend time with or near the Doc, Swann out."

"Understood, Tychus out" was the reply, followed by "sorry, Horner, we can continue the conversation later."

* * *

_Laboratory, Hyperion, September 14, 3868_

"So, Tychus, what do you think of the latest mess?"

"Those colonists sure do have some Zerg troubles." Tychus kept it short and sweet, maybe Jimmy would go talk to the Doc some more, or at least, that was what Tychus (and through his camera feed Swann and Horner) was hoping for.

Raynor raised a eyebrow at his friend's lack of sarcasm "That's it?"

"What do you mean? We didn't really do much, not even deploy a Command Center, Factory or Barracks, what do you expect me to say?" Tychus spread his arms.

"That's more like the Tychus I know." Raynor grinned.

Tychus de-polarized his visor and stared at Jim "Jimmy, you've really gone off the deep end, haven't you? Why don't you go over there and talk to the Doc? Maybe she'll have something to help you with your troubles…"

"Alright, Tychus, I'm going, hey, Doc, what are you doing?" She was typing away at her console with an intense frown on her face.

"I'm working on a cure for the Zerg virus, like you asked. I just hope my people won't need it." She didn't even look up, so Raynor shrugged and went back to Tychus.

"Hey, Jim, just got another message from the comm. officer." Tychus said, tapping a couple buttons on his chest holoconsole. "Here, watch." He moved the console around so Raynor could see it normally as well.

The hideously irritating face of Donny Vermillion came on again "Thanks for joining us. Our own Kate Lockwell is reporting live from the refugee ship Skynyrd II, in orbit around the planet Meinhoff." To relieve himself of the sight of the guy's face, Raynor read the news ticker instead "KMC denies responsibility for refugee massacres" was decidedly irritating but to be expected.

Kate Lockwell came on the line next "Donny, the death toll out here is soaring. Massive refugee fleets like this one are struggling to reach the safety of the core worlds. Many of them won't. They're short on food, water and hope…"

The news ticker was reading "Estimated war dead in the billions" while Raynor muttered to himself "Seth-Thauum, if you don't get your fleet here to help this sector sometime soon there won't be any innocents left to help!" Then Raynor's eyebrows flew up at "1st fleet engage Zerg in Sara system" The Dominion actually going on the attack was a rarity, so he doubted the authenticity of that piece of news.

"Kate, we'll discuss how the Dominion will rescue those worlds when we get there!" Vermillion was seriously making him inclined to put a bullet between the scumbag's eyes.

"There's a lot of talk about rescue among the refugees, but they are pinning their hopes on Para-military and rebel groups such as Raynor's Raid…" Kate Lockwell's feed abruptly cut out.

The ticker read "Core worlds fortified", which was laughable as far as Raynor was concerned. Fortifications could always be overrun by the Zerg swarm, only a pre-emptive strike at the heart of the swarm could beat it back.

Vermillion had cut in hastily "Great report Kate! Live from a refugee ship over Meinhoff, where everyone eagerly awaits the Dominion's return. Up next, a Vermillion commentary: Refugees… are they really our responsibility?" The video stopped after that.

Raynor shook his head "You're all heart, Donny." Then he looked at Tychus "Thanks for dropping by with the video, Tychus"

"Well I gotta do something besides help Swann and Stetmann with tech designs and concepts…" Tychus shrugged "Besides, I want some more ACU simulator time if I can get it…"

* * *

A/N: Ugh, so pathetically short… all because I realized too late how little work the Outbreak mission is with two Brick Armoured Assault Bots, an Athanah, a Serenity, a T3 Combat Engineer (specially modified to fit on only 2 docking clamps, though these modifications are so energy-intensive to add to the unit that the Coalition does not normally use them, and the amount of energy required to make a repair is doubled from what it would normally be, so it's not widely used), a Deceiver, and eight Mech Marines. In glorified terms they could walk around without any problems whatsoever, at least a Zerg base would have offered more resistance with Spine Crawlers, Roaches and Hydralisks… slightly more resistance.

Will make the next one longer, and put the Raider SCV Codex in soon.

Also, I am no longer taking new unit ideas, since I know what I plan on keeping and what I plan on getting rid of, and exactly how I plan on modifying things.

Review and critique (if desired), QUESTIONS ARE WELCOME!


	8. Grand Theft Railway

A/N: I know SC2 never used colonies, the reason I mentioned them… well, a lot of the raiders had experience with them. Also, we'll see if they ever appear or not… I'm not sure at the moment.

There will be a codex entry on Nanolathing once Seth's 4th Hunter Squadron finally meets back up with the Raiders. It will be very long and cover reclamation, mass fabrication, all that jazz, basically, the basis of post-Quantum Age technology.

I thought of the Reapers when I learned Tosh had a Psi-Indoctrinator. I said Sovereign's databanks had Tosh and Saren's names… I know, weak excuse, but Psi-INDOCTRINATOR, Reaper INDOCTRINATION, CANNOT be a coincidence!

For the record I updated the Raider Codex Entry with a "minor" thing I missed, an onboard stasis program, present in all Coalition armours excluding Civilian Armour.

* * *

Chapter 8: Grand Theft Railway

_Bridge, Hyperion, September 16, 3868_

Matt Horner brought up another video feed "We've received reports of a new Dominion salvage operation on Tarsonis. They're running a large number of supply trains with minimal security." He paused as one of the hover trains moved out of a tunnel. "If we intercept the trains and liberate their contents before they can be shipped off-world, we could make a serious profit."

"Adjutant, you got anything interesting?"

"Besides the standard response" the Adjutant made air quotes "of: 'Once the shining capital of Terran space, Tarsonis now stands as a ravaged, sobering monument to the fallen Confederacy'? No, I've got nothing interesting, well, nothing new." The cybernetic woman shook her head, her orange circuitry pulsing gently.

"Hmm, well, boys, set course for Tarsonis and make sure our stealth systems are fully functional, they won't fool visual or Omni but they'll fool standard sensors other than a Science Vessel or on a lesser scale the Raven." Raynor said before he checked on the display consoles and nodded "prepare for Quantum Jump!" After a couple seconds, Raynor announced "Jump!" just as he brought his hand down on the big red button in the classical theatrical launch gesture that everyone loved.

After the crew collectively looked out at the crumbling Tarsonis of today for a few moments in a gesture of silent respect to those that had died there, Raynor shook his head "Never thought we'd be back to this graveyard again. What've we got, Matt?"

Horner took the visual scan footage from the focused Soothsayer scan and magnified it "The Dominion's restored power to the old rail network. They're using the trains to move salvage to a central processing station. Our informants say the Dominion's found something unusually valuable, and they're transporting it to the processing station today. It's on one of these trains, but unfortunately they're all scan-shielded so we can't tell which one. We'll have to hit as many as we can and hope we get lucky."

Raynor stared for a moment before he shook his head and put his hands up for air quotes "'Hope we get lucky?' That ain't the usual Matt Horner plan!"

"You got a better one, sir, I'm all ears." Matt shrugged.

Raynor waved it off "It's all good, Matt. You sold, not to mention surprised, me. Well, let's go rob ourselves some trains. Old Tychus is gonna love this one!"

* * *

_Tarsonis, September 16, 3868, 11:10 AM Local Time_

They'd planted down a small base in a small plateau near the center of the operational area that had some mineral and vespene deposits, the base consisted of a Command Center, Barracks, Factory and Refinery (all with armour modifications to UEF plating standards) and a number of Raider SCVs scurrying about and working. Thanks to the Coalition technologies the Raiders now had, Supply Depots were no longer needed… "Sir, it turns out there are a few Confederate vehicles in the hills the Dominion haven't salvaged yet" Okay, scratch that, they might have to put up a couple of the souped-up supply depots the Raiders used after all…

Two of the twelve deployed SCVs went off to put up the modified supply depots while Raynor headed west from the base to track down one of the vehicle signatures. The thing wasn't so hard to find for the Raiders and vehicle drivers they'd called down from the Hyperion. All Raider vehicle drivers (even Raider SCVs) were equipped with Coalition Civilian Armour, so they could serve as light/medium infantry if it came down to it. The driver hopped onboard the vehicle and powered it up, after administering some repairs. Swann came through from the armoury once he saw the vehicle's specs "Diamondbacks! Man, I didn't think they made it past prototyping! Their railguns will be great for stopping those trains...no pun intended. I'll upload their schematics to our Factory network."

Horner frowned "There may be other vehicles around that we can commandeer. We should keep our eyes open. Right now, we have a slack in the train traffic, but it's scheduled to pick up again in about twenty minutes, sir."

Raynor's Raiders wandered, or rather, flew, around for the next twenty minutes "Hey, look, defiler bone samples! Stetmann will like this…" Raynor said, "grab them, boys!" one sample was south of the raider's initial base, another to the east, and another to the northwest, near an abandoned Diamondback. The Raiders grabbed all of them in seconds, along with all the abandoned Diamondbacks, there didn't seem to be any other abandoned vehicles on Radar, so Raynor brought all the Raiders back to main base with five minutes to spare before the first train arrived.

"It looks like we've found all the Confederate Diamondbacks, Sir. This should really help out after we modify them to Coalition specs." Matt said, confirming Raynor's suspicions.

"A train is approaching through a tunnel in the northwest." The Adjutant announced, highlighting the train's set of tracks on the strategic map.

"Got it, Adjutant." Raynor said, moving two dozen of his Raiders northward along with the six Diamondbacks, leaving twelve Raiders to guard the base. The automated train moved along the maglev tracks at a stately pace toward its doom. The Raiders opened up as soon as their Infantry Nanodart Launchers were able to acquire a lock, which on the train, with nothing in the way of active and very little in passive countermeasures, meant a good three kilometres. Active Countermeasures are why ACU warfare still tended to be at close or visual ranges, since the countermeasures make firing at maximum ranges ineffective and only good for revealing your own position.

The automated train still kept going despite taking hundreds of kilograms of TNT equivalent in damage from each Nanodart. When it came within range of the Diamondbacks, it had already begun to sway about over the tracks, trying to compensate for the damage taken. By the time the Raiders' Gauss Chainguns began tearing into it (two kilometres range) the train was slowing down from taking too much damage to the locomotive. The thrusters used to propel the train horizontally had died, though the tracks still kept the thing in the air by interacting with the train's on-board magnets.

As for how to get the train to the ground, well, they simply blew out the power on the train, causing it to simply fall, since its own electromagnets were down and no longer being receptive to the electromagnetic fields of the tracks. It for some reason didn't damage the tracks, simply flying off to one side and spilling out vespene canisters and Minerals all over the ground.

"I'm starting to think refitting those Hercules-class colony ships to be our mineral and vespene transports was one of the most brilliant ideas I ever had, sending down one to pick up the goods now." Swann announced. Over the years, the Raiders had amassed a small fleet of ships, mostly old Hercules-class colony ships and smaller fighters and frigates, i.e. Valkyries.

"Trains are approaching through the western and southern tunnels." The adjutant announced after a minute or so. The Raiders hustled southeast toward the closest point of the two sets of tracks, which nearly met up southwest of the Raiders' base, right after the Hercules arrived. They got there just before the Adjutant announced "Trains are exiting the tunnels, be advised that they will reach our battle group in differing amounts of time."

"Alright, boys, get ready to blast another train…" Raynor said. The two kills went off without a hitch, right up until Matt picked up something.

"The Dominion forces are constructing a series of bunkers to protect the tracks. Be careful, sir."

"Meh, they build them we tear them down… actually, I should probably just send down more units to just get rid of the Dominion bases in the area…" Raynor lapsed into silence just before he decided it was more trouble than it was worth. "Nah." He watched his troops blow apart the two trains in quick succession before sending the Hercules over to pick up those loads of minerals and gas.

"Commander, I'm picking up increased comm. traffic from the Dominion. It sounds like they're planning to attack our base. We better be ready." Matt warned Raynor, in response, Raynor set up one Bunker at each entrance into the base and put four Raiders inside each, though they could have fitted six, he kept the other four Raiders near the Command Center in case the Dominion sent air units.

"Trains are approaching from the northern and western tunnels." The adjutant said, just before she warned "Base is under attack." The Dominion had sent seven Goliaths and three Siege Tanks to attack the northern entrance to Raynor's base, with the net result that the Siege tanks were taken out by volleys of Nanodarts before they could get off more than a couple shots from their artillery cannons and the Goliaths were either disabled by Laser Battle Rifles' surgical sniping or the hammering of Gauss Chainguns. The one that was hit by a Nanodart wasn't so much disabled as scattered across the ramp up the plateau. The Bunker shrugged off the damage with ridiculous ease, considering the Raiders' structures all had incorporated structural fields, though weaker than typical Coalition fields, and the armour itself was far more durable than anything the Koprulu Sector fielded other than the strongest of Protoss alloys.

Tychus pointed something out while Raynor moved his troops out of the western entry of his base "Check it out Jimmy, Dominion's started sending escorts to protect the trains."

"Damn… I don't want to use the Continental, too much risk of collateral damage destroying the trains' payloads… I guess our boys will have to take the heat."

"Don't worry about us, boss, we're tough enough to take it!" One Raider said into his comm. upon hearing Raynor's musings, the others chorused agreements.

Raynor raised an eyebrow "You sure? Well, I'll send down two more squads for reinforcements you guys get ready to deal with the western train, then the northern one! Someone, blow up that bunker over there!" Twenty-four Nanodarts, a half-vaporized bunker and four Dominion Marine corpses later, Raynor gave the command for the group, west of the Raiders' base to cloak and hide in the wreckage of previous trains and the bunker.

When the escort of five Marauders and five Goliaths got within range, Raynor ordered his men to hold fire and ready their Laser Battle Rifles, and to be ready to take down the Dominion troops with one volley. With the command of "De-cloak and fire at will" The Raiders opened up, fourteen firing on the train with their Nanodarts while the other ten took down one Dominion trooper/walker each in a single precise shot.

The train accelerated, having lost its escort, so the Raiders had to quickly disable it with their Nanodarts, it wasn't easy and the Raiders had to actually move to get enough shots off in time, but they managed to bring down the train on the central rail line. The northern one, on the other hand, was very different.

Three of the Raiders' six Diamondbacks had been disabled by Marauder fire, though thankfully, since they were abandoned prototypes, the power lines simply shut down as opposed to blow up, and the drivers, having bailed, could take cover behind the hulks and return fire. The three Diamondbacks that remained engaged in desperate tactics to save their comrades, resorting to ramming Marauders over. They were kiting the Goliaths and Firebats as best they could, but it was a difficult task, until another one sustained enough damage to shut down and the pilot bailed, in which case it became nearly impossible. "Requesting support on the northern line, Commander!" That had been the third such call sent out by the Raiders; there hadn't been any response so far besides "Help is on the way! Hang in there boys!"

The Raiders were thanking the Coalition for their armour, which was quite tough, and Phasic SMGs, which really packed a punch. Three of the bailed drivers worked in conjunction to knock a Goliath out of the fight by blasting through the cockpit's armoured glass and killing the pilot, while the other one ducked back behind his cover from a hail of Goliath fire, the two remaining Diamondbacks having retreated to a safer distance to bombard the enemy from afar. The driver that had taken cover looked up and began to say his prayers as a Dominion Firebat rounded his piece of cover. He brought up his SMG in a gesture of defiance, for his shields had already been drained from Goliath fire, and fired…

The Firebat exploded abruptly, causing the man to instinctively shield his face, the pieces of flaming Firebat armour bouncing off his Coalition Civilian Armour. The firing on the battlefield stopped for a moment as everyone looked up, and the Goliaths opened up with their Hellfire AA missiles at the Raiders descending out of the sun, which was due south in the sky at high noon in the northern hemisphere. The over-shields of the soldiers absorbed the missiles and popped, leaving their personal shields to protect them upon landing, though by the time they touched down, enough fire had been laid down on the Goliaths that there wasn't much left to do other than haul the Diamondback hulks back to base so they could be studied better. The Raiders had made the four-kilometre flight in just over fifty seconds to save their comrades from the train's escort.

"Good to see you boys but we can't let that train get away!" the leader of the Raiders announced "Run and gun, boys!" he fired his Infantry Nanodart Launcher and Temporal Fizz Launcher at the train while he ran, his power armour boosting his speed. Thankfully, the combined effects of the Temporal Fizzes continually hitting it managed to slow the train down to a more manageable pace, so that it wasn't out of Temporal Fizz range by the time the energy for the Packs had regenerated somewhat.

The group of Raiders lifted off and flew east after the fleeing train, still firing Nanodarts into it, until it finally flew off the tracks when going around a bend and crashed. "Oh thank God…" the Raiders had nearly run out of juice again, and the train had been fairly close to a Dominion base at another tunnel entrance in the northeast, if they hadn't stopped it just now… Who knows what they could've missed? Though it seemed the train only had minerals and gas, just like the packets they'd been picking up all over the ruins of the area, it could easily have been something more valuable.

Rory Swann reported in with new findings "The Dominion was boosting that train's speed somehow, that's why even with Fizzes our boys couldn't catch up in their power armour! You'll probably need Diamondbacks or have our boys in the air to catch the trains now!"

"Alright, though I must say these Diamondbacks aren't that tough…" Raynor agreed, starting to produce them at his Factory (they'd scanned in the schematics already) and sending down more pilots other than the four who'd been recovered.

"Sir, I'm detecting Dominion kill teams patrolling the tracks with large groups of Marauders." Matt looked up from his console toward Raynor's "I'll mark their location with a red warning symbol. Still, you should try to avoid them." Three red symbols appeared on the minimap Raynor always kept in the lower left of his strategic interface, even when he was zoomed out far enough to see the entire battlefield. One started in the northwest, one in the south, and another due west of the Raiders' base

"Hell, Matt, you know my style, take the bull by its horns, besides, there's only about a dozen Marauders in each group, our boys can handle them with sniping or flying no problem, better now than when a train comes through and our boys start fighting a two-front battle, that's when we start losing men. Right guys?" He patched the comm. to his Raiders in the field, the response was overwhelmingly affirmative "Alright, boys, once you recharge your power reserves from the Supply Depots, get moving and snipe those bastards to the northwest." The (albeit small) salient in the cliffs of Raynor's plateau base in the west, where they'd found their first derelict Diamondback, was a godsend for the Raiders, who used the elevated position to snipe at the Marauders and force them into cover, until they called in a Siege Tank, which forced the raiders to abandon the Salient and scoot in closer to eliminate the Siege tank before it could rain down any more artillery fire. Taking to the air helped them dodge the Marauders' rockets, most of the time…

A couple Raiders took glancing hits to their over-shields, causing the shield bubbles to ripple as they returned fire with their full arsenal, while the other Raiders took out the Siege Tank first. A final defiant shot by the tank caught one Raider straight-on and sent him flying, his over-shield depleted and his personal shield damaged. The first thought the Raider had was _Hey, I'm still alive, and at more than half total shields and fields!_ The second was: _Is that a cliff? Oh Fuck—_He squeezed his eyes shut just before he came to a stop with a slight jolt, barely touching the cliff face, then, once he opened his eyes in realization, he fell, or rather rolled, down the side of the cliff. The Quantum Propulsion Pack dampened the impacts to be merely uncomfortable, and the inertial manipulation systems helped somewhat with the nausea, but his first act upon reaching the bottom was still to open up his visor (the suit only allowed this because the sensors said atmosphere was safe) and vomit. He could have vomited inside the suit and been fine, since the suit would have reclaimed the vomit into its very small mass storage blocks (used for nanolathing nutrient slush, medi-gel and omni-gel), but it still was an unpleasant prospect. This was why the Raider found himself heaving his breakfast out onto the surface of Tarsonis.

"Everything alright man?" Another Raider asked worriedly over his suit communications array.

"Yeah, I'm fine, how about you guys?"

"Headed back now, see us?" The man looked up at the sky, where a number of darker dots were flying toward him and growing bigger, he swilled some of the suit's water supply (self-replenishing) inside his mouth, spit it out, repeated the motion and sealed his helmet, taking a drink to push down the acidic taste.

"I see ya. Let's go nail some more Marauders, how about it?"

"Sounds good to us." The others agreed.

"Hey guys, the Marauder team to the base's east is in a vulnerable position right now, follow the nav points guys, happy hunting!" Raynor announced before a set of nav points popped up on the Raiders' HUDs.

"Got it, sir, let's move." The Raiders ran to the base of the cliff they'd been perched atop originally, boosted up, and moved east through the base, boosting over the ruined buildings and mountains of rubble that bordered and blocked off that side of the base. They descended on the Dominion Marauder team at the same time as another Dominion attack hit the south side of the Raiders' base.

A Siege Tank was pounding the bunker guarding the south (more specifically southwest) entrance of the base, along with a number of Goliath walkers, Marauders, and Marines. The Raiders took care of the closer attackers quickly enough, but the Siege tank was starting to really put a dent in the Bunker. So, the Raiders bailed out and flew toward the Tank, engaging it and its escorts, four Goliaths. They managed to take one Raider's already damaged shields and fields out (she had been caught in the splash of a Siege Tank shell when leaving the bunker), smashing her back to the ground with the hammer force of their Autocannon rounds, despite the armour stopping them… most of them.

A second Raider was blasted from the sky by the Siege Tank's assault cannons just before the Nanodarts finally cooked the tank off. The two remaining Raiders ran over to their badly wounded compatriots and began administering medi-gel to the two. The woman had been forced to use her onboard stasis program as both of her legs had been effectively sawed off by Autocannon fire. The male Raider who had been blasted by the Assault Cannons wasn't that much better off, having sustained quite a bit of blunt force trauma even through the armour. The internal damage was, however, fairly easy to repair using medi-gel injectors and dispensers. The only thing they could do for the woman was call in medical evac to the Hyperion's med bays after sealing off the stumps using medi-gel. She'd probably get flash-cloned replacements or Cybran bio-synthetic fusion. Originally, most of the crew had been averse to the fusion tech for medical treatment, but after they saw the new and improved Adjutant… a lot of opinions changed.

* * *

_Tarsonis, September 16, 3868, 12:20 PM Local Time_

Things were going a lot better in the east; the Raiders were raining ammunition down on the Dominion Marauders, who did their best to seek cover in the ruins and were returning fire with their "Grenade Launchers". The weapons could more accurately be described as RPGs, but being unguided munitions, were ineffective against the flying Raiders. The Gauss, Laser and Fizz fire cut down the Marauders, but not before a couple Raiders were bumped enough to fly almost into the sides of buildings. The best thing though was how the Raiders simply stopped short of the buildings thanks to their Quantum Propulsion Packs and got back into the air from there.

Raynor decided to take down the third Marauder group with his Restorer, since it wasn't near any Trains or risky targets, and his raiders had had enough target practice for now. "Well boys, take a break, the next trains should be coming soon!"

A short time and one dead Marauder group later, the Adjutant warned the raiders of something: "A train is exiting the southern tunnel."

Two dozen Raiders, having rotated the shifts so that the ten remained back at base had already seen action on both previous shifts, moved up and over the structures to the southeast, running southeast toward the southern tracks, overrunning two Dominion Bunkers in the way. "Alright boys, let's do this thing… cloak, everyone!" Raynor said as his troops took up ambushing positions and opened up at maximum range with their Nanodarts, not giving the souped-up train a chance to pass them before it crashed due to mass fire and they engaged the escorts. The escorts were milling about in confusion due to the invisibility of the enemies, until they started opening fire at whatever over-shields rippled after being hit by random fire. Thanks to refinements made after the Seraphim War, Aeon-derived shields were nearly invisible unless hit, but when hit, they would ripple and give off various colours of light at the points of impact.

Unfortunately for the Dominion troops, the Raiders were a) fairly low to the ground and b) in greater numbers. This translated into the Dominion troops not having a chance in hell of winning the encounter. In fact, even if the total number of walkers and infantry on the Dominion side was equal to the number of Raiders, the Raiders still could've won a total victory unless the Dominion got really lucky (in which case it would be a clear victory for the Raiders). Since the Dominion troops were outnumbered, it amounted to a massacre and free minerals and gas for the Raiders.

"A train is coming through the western tunnel." The Adjutant announced shortly after the Raiders moved back to their home base.

Tychus watched the train's cluster of radar signals carefully "Looks like the Dominion ran outta whatever they were juicing the trains with. They're putting out bigger escorts though, we better watch ourselves." Indeed, a focused Soothsayer scan revealed the presence of four Siege Tanks, Twelve Goliaths and a number of Firebats and Marauders in this escort, far more than previous escorts.

"Well then it's a good thing we have a lot of Diamondbacks ready, though it's too bad we couldn't upgrade them further first." Raynor said, grinning and ordering his Diamondbacks to go around the bunker at the southwest of the base and move out to array themselves, leaving space for the train to pass. If it came down to it, Raiders could catch up with the slow trains, while they might not have quite enough stopping power to counter the enemy armour.

On second thought, and according to engagement results once the pitched battle started, maybe not, the Raiders performed excellently, quickly eliminating the Siege Tanks before they could set up or cancel setting up. The Diamondbacks kept the Goliaths too occupied to target the Raiders effectively, by blowing holes in the walkers. The automated train had almost passed them before the escort was dispatched and all firepower was focused on the train. It didn't take long.

"Sir, we're detecting electrical activity in the wreckage." Matt announced once the train finally went down.

"Now let's see what they were so fired up to get their hands on… Raiders, look for anything suspicious." They quickly found a container holding something, an Adjutant, one of the old robotic ones.

"I looked like that before we met the Cybrans?" the Hyperion's Adjutant gaped "wow I was ugly…"

"Not quite true, Adjutant, your old cybernetic shell was a lot smoother than that one's." Raynor said, looking at the machine through his Raiders' helmet feeds as they activated the AI.

"Adjutant 23-46...online...system recording...N-N-New Gettysburg Defence Initiative... S-S-Submit a-access codes."

Raynor whistled "Well I'll be… It's an old Confederate adjutant. Now what Intel's so important they'd go and dig her up to recover it?"

* * *

_Bridge, Hyperion, September 16, 3868, 7:00 PM Shipboard Time_

"Sir, that adjutant we recovered is down in the lab. She's all powered up." Matt Horner called Raynor, who was sitting in the mess hall eating and joking around with his men after visiting the two wounded Raiders in med bay.

"Alright, Matt, I'll be going right after I finish my dinner" Raynor replied before going back to his very well-crafted and thoroughly cooked steak (ever since the coming of the Zerg, incompletely cooked food had gone effectively extinct for fear of contamination).

* * *

_Laboratory, Hyperion, September 16, 3868, 7:30 PM Shipboard Time_

Jim found the Hyperion's Adjutant standing in front of the Confederate Adjutant, watching the AI's casing and wiring with a sad expression on her face, her facial circuits dulled in depression "Adjutant, what's the matter?"

"It's just… that could just as easily be me. I know the crew sees me as another one of them now, most of the time, but… it's hard to explain, Captain, please, let it be." She wiped her eyes on the sleeve of her shirt before sniffling "Shouldn't we be interrogating this old piece of junk?"

"Alright, Adjutant… you should choose a name, you know, because pretty soon we'll have another Adjutant walking around if Seth ever gets his ass back over here." Raynor grinned at the cybernetic woman, who rolled her eyes, before he turned to face the machine "Talk to me, you 'old piece of junk'. What do you know?"

The machine came to life, though it was a very different kind of life than the one the Hyperion's Adjutant enjoyed "User identified: Raynor, James. Ex-marshal, Mar Sara colony, Joined Sons of Korhal terrorist group, Status: Criminal."

Raynor looked to the Hyperion's Adjutant, who spoke "Enough about him, sister. What else you got locked up in that synthetic head of yours?" She could say that proudly, as her own body was bio-synthetic fusion, though she still winced at the jerky movements of the Adjutant, she herself had been like that at one point, cold, metallic, not alive in a strict sense, a slave to her programming. She vowed then that someday, like she'd been set free, she would set this Adjutant and ideally all other Adjutants free. Sure, she served the Raiders still, but she was now a crewmember, not just a useful machine anymore, she was alive now. This Adjutant would someday too be alive, just as every other Adjutant.

"User status: Criminal. Access denied." She turned to the Hyperion's Adjutant "User status: unknown. Access denied."

Raynor spoke what was on both of their minds "Playing hard to get, huh? We'll see about that…"

"Sir, Doctor Hanson is currently outside demanding to come in, should I open the door?"

"Huh? Oh, right, I locked it… let her in, Adjutant, let her in."

"Jim, let me in… thanks… oh hi Adjutant!" the two women met in the doorway

"Hello, Doctor, I'll be seeing you sometime, guys!" The Adjutant left after the Doctor came into the lab again. She had been spending time in med bay observing Stetmann and the other medics fixing up the wounded Raiders, who would be back to battle readiness in a couple days.

Hanson looked toward the ground and bit her lip before looking up "I wanted to ask… what really happened on Tarsonis? Whatever it was, I can see it tearing you up inside."

Raynor walked over to the console in front of the artefacts, still spinning serenely in the containment fields, looking off into the distance "Tarsonis… that's where it all went down… Mengsk stole a Psi-emitter from the Confederacy and planted it there. He knew that it'd attract the Zerg and…" Raynor took in a deep shuttering breath, squeezing his eyes tight against the tears that threatened him "Our revolution began that day…" His hands balled up into fists "the day Mengsk murdered a whole planet and called it justice." He looked up into the distance, eyes blazing, if looks could kill, Mengsk would not want to be in that line of sight.

Hanson blinked "My God… Billions of innocent people…" She knew she would have nightmares about it despite not witnessing any of it. It was like Agria except hundreds of thousands of times larger… "That's…that's just…monstrous. No wonder you hate him so much." She shook her head.

"I… I should go. We can talk some other time. By the way, if you can, look into the Perdition Turret designs and any Command Center upgrades, will ya?"

"I… Alright, Jim, see you later." Hanson went to work once she'd followed Jim out of the lab with her eyes.

* * *

_Armoury, Hyperion, September 16, 3868_

"Yeah, whatever, Jim, sorry, I'm busy modifying the Diamondbacks to our and Coalition standards… you can feel free to steal Tychus though!" Swann said without even raising his head from the schematics he and Tychus were going over, gesturing vaguely in Tychus's direction, the ex-convict looked up and straightened up with a grin.

Raynor grinned right back "Robbing a train again get ya feeling nostalgic?"

"Damn straight. We must've hit the Shale Express a dozen times back in the day." Tychus chuckled, patting his chest plate with a slightly dreamy expression on his face "Ah, that caper never got old."

Raynor snorted "Almost got us killed when they smartened up and started using outriders to chase us."

Tychus shrugged "Never was a man of 'em could keep up with you on a Vulture, Jimmy. It just added to the fun. How the hell you got a job as marshal after all that I'll never know."

"Other than the Magistrate using my reputation to scare the criminals into submission? No clue either." Raynor shrugged. "I should drop by the cantina to buy more merc contracts, after all, most companies won't turn on customers who already paid, bad rep, you know."

"Yeah, and most of them dislike the Dominion at least as much as we do." Tychus nodded "See ya Jim, I'll be either here or in the lab most of the time, you know where to find me if you need me. I'll be working on the new Diamondhead for a while though…"

"Right, Swann wants you back, see ya Tychus."

* * *

_Cantina, Hyperion, September 16, 3868_

After getting a contract with Hammer Securities, not that he was ever gonna use it, it was simply a matter of too many credits on his hands and securing the bigger mercenary companies… Raynor sat down at a table with a good cup of Umoja scotch, taking a gulp he sat there for a moment, feeling the alcohol slide down his throat. He turned on the holo screens that performed the same function as TVs and began to watch the newest UNN excerpt.

Donny Vermillion's face showed itself again "Ladies and gentlemen, each night I bring you the news in the most fair and balanced manner possible. But tonight I have a commentary."

The ticker was useless for now, so Jim actually listened to the next part "Some have asked me what the difference is between our leader, Emperor Mengsk, and the traitor Jim Raynor. They point out that Mengsk rebelled against the government of his youth, and came to power through the use of violence and subversion. Why is it wrong for Jim Raynor to rebel in similar fashion?"

The ticker's current bit was actually useful, unlike the BS Donny was spilling "Interplanetary shipping at a standstill" was good knowledge, fewer civilian deaths then. He listened to Donny's next bit, and nearly laughed "There is a difference. When Emperor Mengsk began his revolution, there was no threat hanging over humanity. James Raynor is waging his revolution while we are at war with two alien races."

Raynor snorted and took another drink "Heh, tell that to the Swarm." He looked at the ticker, which read "Rebel Jim Raynor continues campaign of terror"

Donny opened his shit-hole again: "James Raynor, have you no conscience? Shouldn't you fall in line, putting your petty complaints aside as we struggle for humanity's very survival against this alien menace?"

Raynor shook his head sadly "Everyone's a critic… unfortunately for you, Donny, you're also an idiot."

* * *

_Bridge, Hyperion, September 17, 3868_

"So how are things, Matt?" Raynor asked.

"I've been looking for an encryption expert so we can access the adjutant we recovered. No luck so far." Horner shook his head.

Raynor frowned at his console, before tilting his head "Colonel Orlan at Dead Man's Port can crack anything… We haven't been back there in awhile." He turned to face Matt with a bemused expression "Say, didn't you end up getting married last time we were there?"

Matt growled before responding "I told you before. If I knew what the prize was, I never would've joined that card game!"

Raynor grinned "There's just something about a lovers' reunion that chokes me up."

Matt facepalmed in irritation and sighed, this was going to be a long day.

* * *

_Bridge, Hyperion, September 19, 3868_

Matt Horner sighed in irritation, perhaps they'd have to go for Orlan after all "We still need to access the adjutant we retrieved from Tarsonis. Our old mercenary associate Colonel Orlan is an expert in Confederate code decryption. If our Intel's right, he should still be based at the merc-haven at Dead Man's Port. He's not very trustworthy, but he's our best bet of breaking that encryption, Jim."

"Alright, Matt, guess we'll have to do this the way I suggested after all, eh?" Raynor nudged Matt, who grunted in response.

* * *

_Over Dead Man's Port, Bridge, Hyperion, September 20, 3868_

"Dead Man's Port, it's risky just waiting here with all these mercenaries around." Matt said, looking out at the debris field that surrounded the planet of Dead Man's Rock "Colonel Orlan's sure taking his time decrypting that adjutant for us."

Raynor agreed "Yeah, I'm getting a bad feeling about this."

"Incoming transmission." The Hyperion's Adjutant announced, before scrolling some stats in beside the video in the video call. "Mira Han, Alias: Mira Horner, Mercenary Leader, Death sentence in 12 systems."

"James. Orlan decrypted your adjutant but he's planning to sell it to the Dominion. Must have been something exciting in there!" The pink-haired woman said "He wants me to keep you off his back until they arrive."

"That's nice, Mira, but why are you telling me all this?"

"Because I like you and Matthew better than him, of course! Match Orlan's offer and I'll help you take him out instead. He's paying in minerals, so I'll give you the same deal."

Raynor grinned "Always a pleasure, Mira… How much is he offering?"

"About six thousand standard mineral units." She shrugged. "Orlan's already got half of my payment waiting for me. You know I've got a soft spot for Matthew, but business is business."

"Hercules-class transports are en route now… I knew they'd be good for something." They Raiders had been using the big old colony ships (refitted with UEF-standard plating and Coalition-standard engines) as mineral and vespene stashes for quite some time now, and suffice it to say, they had enough right now to build a small fleet, or in this case to immediately pay off Mira Han without breaking much of a sweat.

Mira apparently hadn't realized that the Hercules transports were carrying minerals as opposed to Raynor's troops down to Dead Man's Port "Don't take too long now, if Orlan comes up with the goods first I'll have to side with him." The screen showed a number of Orlan's Goliaths patrolling the Port. "Oh and, um, say hello to Matthew for me; ask him why he never calls." She laughed.

Raynor looked to Matt, who was standing to one side out of the camera's view, shaking his hands and head, and grinned at his second-in-command's obvious discomfort. "Alright, Mira, we're coming, just wait for a moment… those Hercules transports are rather slow." The ground team had already deployed a small base consisting of a command center (pre-fabricated, assembled in the field by the Raider SCV engineering suites), barracks and factory. They had effectively been lying in wait after all.

Mira sent over a cheerful transmission and a Medivac Dropship "I left a little present out here for you and Matthew. I never got to give it to him last time you boys were here!" It dropped off four vehicles before leaving.

Tychus sent a message up from the lab, looking at the new vehicles "Damn Jimmy, are those Vulture bikes?"

Raynor nodded "Good eye, Tychus." Then he turned to thank Mira, since there was still a bit of time before the lumbering Hercules transports could, with Restorer supervision, reach Mira's base. "By the way, Tychus, got the new and improved Diamondback ready for production yet?"

"Sure have, feel free to crank some out at your factory… wait, I think you should consider building a couple Supply Depots, or rather Staging Facilities, considering the way you use them." Tychus chewed on his energy cigarette, finally spitting out the fluorescent glowing end and discarding it in the garbage can.

Raynor turned to his display to see the massive Hercules-class cargo ships approaching Mira's base. "Alright, Mira, we both know you're ripping me off, but I'm gonna hire you anyway. Here's your payment." The Hercules opened their cargo bay doors at the same time, the look on Mira's face made Jim consider turning the things into bombers for sheer effect.

Four rather sizeable cubes of minerals fell from each of the two transports, causing the platform Mira's base was on to rumble slightly from the impact. Mira recovered quickly "My forces are yours, Jim. I'm so glad I got to side with you and Matthew!" She transferred command of her troops to Jim at this point

"Oh you scheming little…! I'll show you what happens to double-dealing backstabbers." Orlan shouted over a transmission. Raynor shook his head and filled out the two Bunkers at Mira's base entrance just in case with her War Pigs and Hammer Securities mercenaries. Then Raynor took the rest of Mira's army east to eliminate Orlan's nearby outpost. At the same time, his group of new and improved Diamondbacks overwhelmed the defences at Orlan's northern outpost, razing it to the ground.

The Diamondbacks met up with Mira's troops near the base of the ramp onto Orlan's plateau base at about the same time, a squad of Raiders had taken out the south-eastern base of Orlan's, as well as grab all salvage in the area to re-fill the coffers of Raynor's Raiders, or at least the Hercules-class transports.

Once they made it up onto the plateau, well, more like swarmed onto it, Orlan decided to drop something: "I got a little present heading your way." It was kind of obvious it would be a nuke, so Raynor simply charged into the midst of Orlan's main base, his troops and vehicles firing every which way. It was a very convenient way to evade the nuke without losing any turf, or even troops. Though the two Siege tanks Orlan had there were annoying, it took mere seconds for the Diamondbacks to punch through them, along with the rest of the base. After all, equipped with linked Railguns (Coalition-issue, same as the guns used on UEF T1 AA units) and structural fields, the Diamondbacks were a hovering force to be reckoned with by Koprulu Sector standards. According to Tychus, if they could boost the structural field strength he'd have a lot easier time in the ACU simulator at Tier 1 on water maps, namely by using a Spirit, Aurora and Diamondback force.

The Siege Breaker mercenary Siege Tanks helped greatly with clearing the bunkers on the higher plateau, where, stereotypically, Orlan's stronghold was. Then the Diamondbacks rushed up onto the plateau and opened fire on Orlan's final defences, chewing through the Marauders, Goliaths and Marines in seconds before turning their guns on the Planetary Fortress-class Command Center Orlan was using as his headquarters.

Orlan sent a transmission "Alright! Alright! I surrender! Just take your damn adjutant already!" As soon as he did, Raynor ordered his troops to hold fire and Orlan's remaining troops did the same. An uneasy silence came over the battlefield.

"I ought to do the universe a favour and kill you off Orlan. It's too bad I might need to hire you someday." Raynor shook his head "Raiders, heal the wounded if you can, they shouldn't pay for their commander's idiocy. Mira, do me a favour and keep him on ice."

Mira nodded in acknowledgement and thanks at not losing a single soldier of hers in the battles "You got it Raynor. I will keep this snake safe and sound for you. I will even do it for free."

Raynor rubbed his hands together "Now let's get that adjutant back to the Hyperion, and have ourselves a little chat…"

* * *

_Over Dead Man's Port, Laboratory, Hyperion, September 20, 3868_

"Well, old girl, we dug you up on Tarsonis. Were you online during the Zerg attack? You remember anything about Arcturus Mengsk being involved?"

"Mengsk, Arcturus, Ex-Confederate officer, Civilian Prospector, Founder and leader of the Sons of Korhal terrorist group, Status: Criminal." The Adjutant paused "Accessing intercepted transmission 0081 to 0086 Alpha."

Edmund Duke's voice was broadcast into the now-silent lab; indeed, the entire ship was listening attentively to the transmissions. "This is Duke. The Emitters are secured and online."

Sarah Kerrigan's voice asked "Who authorized the use of Psi Emitters?"

Arcturus Mengsk's hated voice spoke next "I did, Lieutenant."

"What? The Confederates on Antiga were bad enough, but now you're going to use the Zerg against an entire planet? This is insane." Sarah exclaimed

Jim Raynor listened with teeth gritted as his own voice came from the Adjutant "She's right, man. Think this through."

Arcturus Mengsk began to use a more forceful tone "I have thought it through, believe me. You all have your orders. Carry them out."

There was a moment of static as the Adjutant went to another transmission. The entire ship waited in silence, except for the hum of the engines. Arcturus Mengsk's voice growled the next sentences "I will not be stopped. Not by you or the Confederates or the Protoss or anyone! I will rule this sector or see it burnt to ashes around me."

The transmissions ceased with "No more relevant data available" from the Adjutant.

"Holy… I can't believe it! We can nail Mengsk to the wall with this!" Raynor said just before the Hyperion rocked with the force of the thousands of people onboard roaring in a primal display of pure rage. Raynor had a sudden feeling that if he told them to, they could probably get to Korhal and kill Mengsk, then get out of there before the Hyperion took too much damage to jump, maybe even before they lost shields.

"I… I can't believe it. That recording proves it's all true; Mengsk, Tarsonis, all of it... What will you do now?" Ariel Hanson had walked up from her usual console.

Jim looked down at his clenched fist "Tell the people. Every man, woman and child in the Dominion needs to know what their beloved Emperor is capable of." The ship roared in approval of their Captain's words, Raynor seemed to not notice.

Hanson looked toward the ground for a moment "The backlash will be awful. There'll be riots and uprisings everywhere…" She looked up again "But that's just what you want, isn't it?"

"It's a start."Raynor said, causing the entire ship to again yell in approval. "What's that noise…? Tychus, have you wired my comm. to broadcast to EVERYONE again?" The ensuing sudden silence of the Hyperion, other than containment fields humming, sample tanks bubbling, etc. was very, very telling.

"Uh, no?"

"You were better at denials back in the day… I'm coming down to the armoury, Tychus. I'll see you in a moment."

* * *

_Over Dead Man's Port, Armoury, Hyperion, September 20, 3868_

Swann had taken Raynor's comm. for repairs since Tychus wanted to chat. "I gotta' know… just what was it went down between you and Mengsk? Seems you boys were tight once."

Raynor stepped up to the railing of the stage-like thing they stood on, looking over the armoury "I used to think Mengsk would be a force for change." He looked down toward the armoury's floor "I fought alongside him right up until Tarsonis." He turned to face Tychus, who shifted in his armour "That's where he crossed the line by using Zerg to murder the whole planet. He left Kerrigan there to die 'cause she called him out on it. Turned out he was just as rotten as the Confederacy ever was."

Tychus shook his head slowly "Damn. You sure know how to pick your friends, Jimmy."

"Something you're not telling me, Tychus?"

"I walked right into that one, didn't I?"

"Damn straight, Tychus, hey, I think Swann wants us to get over there… probably refitting the Vultures." Raynor started moving toward where Swann was working at a holo table, tapping at a console in front of the holographic vulture and moving things around on it once in a while.

"Sounds about right…"

Swann looked up as they approached "Those guffy mercs are still using vultures, can you believe it? Damn, these things are death traps. Even when you yank them people shoot at you."

Raynor frowned "Careful, Swann. My old vulture saved my skin more times than I care to remember. I ain't gonna listen to you trash talk a classic piece of engineering like that."

Swann snorted "Classic? I suppose you could call 'em that. 'Course most folks like a bike that doesn't explode on them when the repeller seals freeze up, or the fuel cells start leaking radioactive waste. But hey, who cares if it's a classic, right?"

Raynor shook his head "No one likes a smart ass, Swann."

* * *

_Over Dead Man's Port, Bridge, Hyperion, September 20, 3868_

The first thing Matt Horner said when Raynor stepped onto the bridge was "If Mira Han calls I'm… I'm just busy." The first thing Raynor did was chuckle in response.

"Well, Matt, there anything I should pay attention to?"

"Well, there's something on UNN that could work to our favour…"

"Alright, I'll check it out." Raynor sat down and watched the new broadcast. The first thing he noted was the ticker "Memorial unveiled on Tarsonis".

Donny Vermillion asked Emperor Mengsk, who was apparently doing a live interview "Emperor, much has been written in regards to the tragic fall of Tarsonis. Tilosky's investigative documentary 'Imperial Dawn', even claims that you brought down the Confederate system by assuring Tarsonis' fall."

"Tyrador defences criticized for lack of readiness" and "Holo-board initiative suspended" were interesting, but the fact that people were ripping on Mengsk was more interesting to Raynor at the moment.

"I've heard these conspiracy theories before. But the fact remains the Zerg invaded Tarsonis en masse and no force in the universe could have stopped their onslaught. It was a very…terrible day."

"The Coalition of Species could have stopped them easily, but then again we didn't know they existed back then." Raynor muttered.

Vermillion continued "Tilosky's film highlights the seeming…convenience of the aliens annihilating a corrupt government that you yourself spent a lifetime trying to overthrow."

Raynor shook his head at that and the ticker "Zerg 'not attempting conquest' say analysts" _Yeah, they're not… they're attempting annihilation._ He thought.

"Millions died that day, and you speak to me of convenience? Yes, I strove against the evils of the Old Confederacy, but never with the object of personal gain! When I was called upon to take up the heavy burden of leadership I did so only to ensure our continuing survival as a species." Raynor sneered, what bullshit! There would soon be a reckoning…

Vermillion nodded "Striking words from the Emperor himself." He paused "Up next, Zerglings allergic to lemon juice: old wives' tale, or new super-weapon in the fight for humanity?"

Raynor, who had been drinking lemonade, was suddenly very thankful the Hyperion's consoles were self-cleaning. If they hadn't been, he would have had to do a lot of cleaning to do considering how much he sprayed in laughter.

* * *

COALITION MILITARY CODEX: RAIDER SPACE CONSTRUCTION VEHICLE (RAYNOR'S RAIDERS)

The Space Construction Vehicle is the workhorse for Terran armies throughout the Koprulu Sector. This holds true even for Raynor's Raiders in the Second Great War, though their SCVs are rather…modified. The Raider SCV is the designation used, though it is more commonly called the Raider Construction Vehicle or RCV. They are to normal SCVs what Raiders are to Dominion Marines, more or less.

The Raider SCV towers imposingly over its regular cousin. When standing fully erect, the RSCV/RCV stands 6.5 meters tall, taller than the height of a Goliath walker. Normally, however, it is usually hunched over somewhat, which reduces its height to a "mere" 5 meters, still taller than a Viking in walker mode. The regular SCV used by the Dominion, Kel-Moria combine or Umoja Protectorate, on the other hand, is only about 2 meters tall. The width and length of the RCV are similarly scaled to make room for the power core and engineering suite. Aesthetically, it is virtually identical to its smaller precursor (excluding size and arm equipment changes), but for the fact that it is in the smooth speckled grey typical of UEF-style plating and blue paintjob of the Raiders.

The Raider SCV is better-armoured and shielded than a Raider, though unlike almost all Coalition-derived units/armours, the over-shield is stronger than the personal shields and structural fields, coming in at a whopping… 30 points, whereas personal shields are 10, structural fields 8. This is sufficient to stand off the cluster munitions of Crucio Siege Tanks (Think Zthuee T1 Mobile Light Artillery but much weaker) for two simultaneous shots and then some! Or, with a single tank, three shots in a row (regeneration stands off the cool-down) before popping. This is assuming the Raider SCV does not fly/run out of the way first, very possible if it ran at max speed (around 20 m/s or 72 km/h) and the Siege Tank is far enough away for a reasonable flight time (i.e. 3 kilometres or more). The quantum propulsion packs are used for zero-gee manoeuvring or similar tasks. Believe it or not, jumping over flying Siege Tank shells (using the propulsion packs) is a popular pastime for RCV pilots in the field. When flying, the RCV can pull the same speeds as Raiders and can fly for up to five minutes at the max speed, hence legs are mainly used for legging it past missile turrets or other anti-air defences.

Raider SCVs are known for having improved medi-gel/omni-gel dispensers and injectors, as well as an engineering suite far surpassing that of the Raider, though still less powerful than the Mantis Light Armour of the Cybran Nation (the weakest engineering suite on standard Coalition units). Despite their engineering focus, RCVs have many of the same abilities as Raiders. They have short-ranged Omni, holoprojectors to project consoles in the air to work with, strategic control/view interface, and full NBCP protection. A major difference is that Raider chest holoprojectors only project a console in the air that is intended for the Raider to use (facing the Raider), while the RCV's can be oriented for others to use if so desired. Also, RCVs cannot cloak, whereas Raiders can. Pilots wear Coalition Civilian Armour just like all other pilots of vehicles in Raynor's Raiders; this makes them very much not vulnerable even if their vehicles are disabled. The RCV offers many of the same protective properties as Raider armour e.g. acid-proof, infestation-proof, mind control-proof, etc.

Weapons on the RCV are not as luxurious as on Raiders, hence it rarely sees combat. Other reasons include the fact that no line of Raiders has yet been breached enough to force RCVs to join active combat. Also, constructing/training RCVs takes longer than Raiders and therefore is less firepower-efficient. The RCV is "only" equipped with a Gauss Chaingun on the right arm and a Flamethrower on the left, as plasma welders have been replaced by engineering suites. Note that considering the fact that a standard Gauss Chaingun penetrator slug (10/sec firing rate) is a 20mm round with nearly 10kg TNT equivalent of power behind it (a bit over 1 kg of mass travelling at 6000 meters per second), this is still a lot of firepower. Also, like all Coalition tech units/armours, it is physically impossible to run out of power so long as the suit/unit's quantum reactor core remains functioning. Chronotron dilation fields have proved that with standard self-repair protocols included in all Coalition reactor cores, the core will remain functioning and permit for full output for over 1000 years subjective time, this is the longest temporal dilation experiment run so far. Therefore, it is impossible to run out of ammo or materials, though the material fabrication rate is too slow to build, only fast enough to assemble pre-fabricated buildings in reasonable times.

END OF CODEX ENTRY

FOR MORE INFORMATION, GO TO "RAIDER (RAYNOR'S RAIDERS)", "RAYNOR'S RAIDERS" OR "SPACE CONSTRUCTION VEHICLE"

* * *

A/N: Grand Theft Auto includes fighting other gangs; hence Grand Theft Railway involves fighting other Para-militants.

Amir-015, I will eventually cover some of the physics I use for nanolathing. It may or may not be different from what you think, but I think I can come up with plausible physics for it.

Also, though cakewalking gets boring when not described in sufficient detail, the truth of the situation is with all the upgrades Raynor's Raiders have received, they will KICK ASS. And also, unless they want to collect samples or NOT destroy something, Raynor will deploy the big boys, hence why Meinhoff (last chapter) was so freaking boring, even to write! Then again… it couldn't be skipped, so I made the painfully boring experience as short as possible, along with satisfying people's appetite for the occasional utter cakewalk.

I updated this fast because it was more fun to write than a boring old cakewalk against an unorganized enemy, also the attack on the Dominion had plenty of space for Raiders to fly around in… though the Orlan thing was a blitzkrieg. It was simply because the Raiders had flying warehouses full of minerals and gas they've collected over time for future use (anything they collect that they can't use in that battle/deployment is either sold for credits or kept just in case).


	9. Toys and Truths

A/N: RoyalTwinFangs, for the record, the "high-end" stuff the Raiders manufacture and sell is usually the second best (by a small margin) in the Koprulu Sector, but museum pieces by Coalition standards. Hence the Dominion doesn't investigate too hard. Also, they gave this up once they realized they could simply sell salvage, minerals and vespene, better for anonymity, you see?

I just realized, Thors aren't going to make Tier 2.7 (Obsidian and Ilshavoh are Tier 2.5 and 2.4 respectively by my reckoning) unless I count in the artillery cannons, so Odin's only Tier 3.0 or something (not counting artillery cannons), not Tier 3.5 as I'd hoped… though it is not as tall as most T3 units… YET

Omegalisk question will be answered in short order, as soon as the first mission with actual Ultralisks comes by. Valkyries and such will be covered in the confrontation between the Dominion and Raiders.

* * *

Chapter 9: Toys and Truths

ALSO KNOWN AS: Grand Theft Odin (in the same vein as Chapter 8)

_Near Sigmaris Prime, Bridge, Hyperion, September 22, 3868_

"The decrypted Adjutant contains records proving Mengsk ordered the massacre on Tarsonis, now we just need to broadcast those records. Mira Han gave us a tip that might help. The dominion is unveiling a new war machine called the 'Odin'" Horner made air quotes and rolled his eyes as he continued the briefing "on Korhal. If we hijack the Odin we can use it to gain access to the UNN studios and broadcast the records of Mengsk's war crimes. The Odin is currently in the testing facility on Valhalla."

"So that's why we're here… Has Tychus gotten the team ready yet? What have observations told us?"

It took a few moments before Horner confirmed it "Our team is in position; we're ready to steal the Odin. Are you absolutely sure about this, sir?"

"Yep, Tychus is definitely our best man for this kind of job. He does get a little excited in combat, we're gonna need to keep up with him once the fighting starts."

Horner moved the Soothsayer scan feed away from the insertion's team to the Dominion forces in the area "If he can actually commandeer the Odin, it's vital that we take out all the Dominion bases in the area. Hopefully we can block all transmissions long enough for him to do that. We can't risk word of this getting back to Korhal."

"No problem, our Subspace Jammer is fully operational, right, Swann?"

"Right." The Grizzled Chief Engineer replied "though there's not enough energy for us to run the Quantum Jammer at the same time, we don't need to run it, so we're all good, stealth systems will still work unless we need to fire the Sonance or the Heavy Oblivion Cannons."

"That's good, Swann, now, Matt, how much do we know about this 'Odin'?" He followed the newest Raider command crew tradition, the use of air quotes when talking about codenames.

"It's an experimental super-heavy siege walker designed for prolonged front line combat." The camera showed footage the recon team had taken, which made Raynor squint to see if that really was a person down there… he seemed so small next to the walker "Very powerful, though not as much as a Brick, the cannons can fire every two seconds, and are dual-linked so the machine stays balanced, and it has artillery howitzers for longer-range work."

"Great, even Tychus can't wreck it then."

The gates to the facility blew apart with the force of seven Nanodarts impacting it "Here they go." Matt muttered.

* * *

_Valhalla, Moon of Sigmaris Prime, September 22, 3868_

"Go! Go! Go!" Tychus shouted as he led the charge, gunning down Dominion Marines that came to investigate the explosion. "This isn't a stealth mission any more ladies. Bring it loud and fast!" He took down a Marauder with a hail of Gauss Chaingun bolts before his supporting half-dozen Raiders could get inside the ruined gates "You aren't keeping me from that monster! I've had my taste of piloting huge-ass war machines, that thing isn't quite up to par with a Brick or even a Titan from what I hear, but it'll do."

On the way in, the other Raiders grabbed an odd canister containing some sort of tissue sample while Tychus looked around for the right path to the Odin. Well, technically it ended up being the left path to the Odin, but still. A shout came from down the corridor "Activate the auto-turrets!" The squad moved down the halls, killing a squad of Dominion Marines that tried to stop them, and found themselves targeted by two Perdition Turrets that popped up out of the ground and literally fired on the Raiders. The Raiders fired right back with their Nanodarts, blowing the turrets from the ground in a single shot each, leaving behind only smoking craters. They blew the second gate apart with a volley of Nanodarts and stormed the holding facility for the Odin.

The two Firebats, Four Marauders, three Marines and two Reapers that tried to stop the six Raiders plus one Tychus Findlay were sent to redecorate the walls and floor. This was accomplished by shoving Gauss Chaingun bolts, Temporal Fizzes, Laser Sniper Bolts and in at least one case a Nanodart into them, painting the walls a lovely red (or black in the case of charred flesh and armour pieces).

Tychus looked up at the Odin, simply sitting there, fully assembled, then pressed the necessary buttons on the console to get it to lower its cockpit. "Hot damn! I can't wait to get inside that thing and tear this place up! Not quite as big as a Titan, I think, but still not bad…" The Odin was after all only 25 meters tall, though it seemed bulkier and weighed more than a Titan, that was because of its armour, which could be easily outdone by Coalition-standard plating and structural fields. The machine ducked down and leaned forward, allowing Tychus to vault into the cockpit, still wearing his armour, before it straightened up and stood there.

Inside the Odin, Tychus looked around at the controls and blinked as his suit computers patched into the Odin's system, details rolling across the screen for just a moment before his HUD lit up with arrows and captions. The main one he was interested in was "Drive with this" and the joysticks and leg braces, designed to allow navigating the Odin to be like walking around, more or less. Also, the HUD told him what to use to fire the weapons.

But the one thing Tychus Findlay missed on the HUD was "Toggle Communications Options Here". He brushed against the switch while stretching his arms just before he settled his hands on the Odin's firing controls. "Let's do this thing…" He muttered, not noticing the fact that the Communications Options had been toggled to "Transmit only." His suit took the cue and set itself also to Transmit Only.

"Hold your position Tychus! Let us get a support force up there to cover you!" Jim shouted over the comms, clearly heard by every Raider outside the Odin.

Tychus, on the other hand, heard absolutely nothing as he warned the troops "Careful, I'm moving forward!" He pointed the guns at the massive, reinforced gate that blocked off the rest of the compound from the area. For some reason, it was even more reinforced than the door they'd come in through, but to the Odin, it was nothing. Three shots and the gate disintegrated, falling absolutely flat on the ground and being stepped on by the Odin as Tychus walked the machine out toward the rest of the Valhalla compound "Now that's what I'm talking about!"

Raynor frowned "Dammit, Tychus! Stand down! Can you read me?"

Matt put a hand on the man's shoulder "He's got it stuck on transmit, sir. He can't hear us at all. Defences are coming online at the Dominion bases."

"Wonderful. Get our base set up ASAP. We'll just have to follow him in and hope he doesn't get too crazy. Ah, who am I kidding?" Raynor threw his arms up in exasperation as the RCVs (Raider SCVs) unpacked a Command Center, Refinery, Barracks, Factory, and a Bunker at the northeast entrance of the base plateau. The Odin was sitting around the western entrance; the six Raiders tasked to follow Tychus were now following the machine, two of them going out to grab the two vespene gas canisters lying near some wreckage.

After a while, and after the Raiders had used the minerals and gas they harvested to fill up two Hercules freighters, Swann put through a communiqué: "Hey hotshot, you want these Wraith fighters now?" Four Wraiths swept in from the southwest, Raynor raised an eyebrow, so that was the project Swan had been busy with earlier… "I've refitted them to Coalition standards, in numbers they should be able to take down a Dominion Battlecruiser or just about anything else they can throw at you in the air." As if on cue, five Banshees showed up and began to fire on the Odin just before the cloaked Wraiths opened up and chased the Banshees from the skies, assisting the Odin's anti-air missile battery "You can build more at a starport, sending a packaged one down now." The package didn't take long for the RCVs to assemble after it hit the ground, and then they started manufacturing Wraiths, well, Swann's version of Wraiths.

Shortly after the Banshee attack and Raynor sending over an RCV to repair any damage, Tychus sent another transmission "Uh Jimmy? Partner? Can ya hear me?" Raynor facepalmed, this was going to be a long day if Tychus did what he would usually do in this sort of situation.

After a few minutes and more Wraiths making it into the air, plus a small Dominion attack from the northeast, which was easily repelled by the six Raiders in the bunker (and the Bunker's Chaingun Turret), Tychus, as expected, did what he would normally do in this sort of situation "Well if you aren't going to tell me not to have a little fun...I'm going to have a little fun." Tychus chuckled before grinning maniacally "Here I go!" The Odin lurched into motion northward, the Raiders that were following it being surprised at the machine's not-so-slow speed and acceleration properties. They scrambled to catch up, following the Odin at a safe distance as it broke down the gate to the first of the Dominion bases, stopping just outside the gate and firing in. None of the Raiders tried to get near the Odin, for fear of being trampled, and Tychus didn't seem to need any help, so the Raiders simply hung back, as opposed to what they would have done i.e. boosted over the walls of the compound.

Tychus whistled as he fired on another group of Dominion Marines, blowing them all to kingdom come with one pair of shells "Sweet. You just keep me repaired Jimmy. I'll win this whole war for ya!" Raynor rolled his eyes, Tychus would probably win this battle easily, but the Bricks were far better than the Odin ever would be, now, if Tychus was piloting an ACU… things would be rather different. Raynor blinked at the sudden and horrifying image of Tychus piloting an ACU, never mind then, they shouldn't let Tychus anywhere near an ACU. "Oh you want some of this? Boom!" Tychus cackled, causing Raynor to run his hand through his hair, sighing in irritation.

The Odin took a break after it finished stamping and blasting the first Dominion base into the ground, the RCV following up and performing repairs while the Raiders hung around, watching for air units. The Wraiths followed up, their cloaks off for the time being. Back at the Raiders' base, they were building more Hercules-class Transports/Freighters at a second pre-fab Starport they'd set up. Unlike the Dominion setting up structures from minerals and vespene refined in Command Centers, it cost nothing for the Raiders to physically deploy a building, though it still cost minerals and gas to fabricate a building quickly on the Hyperion before dropping it. (A/N: Note that long-term construction projects, due to the Nanolathe, cost nothing. The orbital drop system is like the system used for Earth 2160's ED and LC factions.)

The ship would eat into the minerals and gas they'd gathered rather badly, but it wasn't like there was anything better to spend it on… the Wraiths weren't building fast enough to spend all the funds. "Well now that's done with, I'm gonna take me a little break. Good thing I brought me some liquid refreshment." Tychus's video feed showed him knocking back an ominous bottle of Vintage Meinhoff Vodka, causing Raynor to have a flashback to the last time he'd seen an ACU pilot do a drunken ACU dance. Unlike this time, that pilot had been faking drunk to amuse the Raiders, though suffice it to say one Thalia Kael's sixty-meter tall ACU (A/N: yes it looks the same as the Aeon one from SupCom 1/FA) stumbling about was a frightening sight. This was especially true when she fell face-first into the edge of a small cliff and created a convenient ramp with the sheer weight of the machine pulverizing the sandstone.

"Now that hit the spot. There's nothing like knocking back a cold one on top o' your enemies' smoking corpses!" Tychus said before leaning back and intertwining his fingers behind his head. Raynor took the time to build more Wraiths as if in an arms race, and to send another RCV up, he had a feeling it would be needed soon…

"I can't wait no longer! Here it comes!" The Odin moved north again from where it had parked, east of the destroyed Dominion base that more raiders were stripping down for salvage right now.

"You know, sir. That sounded SO wrong." The Adjutant commented, the rest of the Hyperion's bridge crew looked at her for just a moment before all bursting into laughter, the tension disappearing nearly instantly.

The Odin had chewed its way through the south end of this Dominion base and was moving north, firing on the Command Center (having destroyed everything else) as it went, when Tychus noticed something "Ok, flashy red button what do you do?" The Odin's four artillery cannons opened up, bombarding the Command Center into rubble in a deluge of shells "DAMN! Now that is HOT!" Tychus yelled, checking around for more enemies before moving to the path to the next Dominion base, in the southeast of the one they'd just destroyed. "Reckon you boys will need some time to catch up. Good old Tychus be right here taking it easy"

Matt turned to Raynor, frowning "Does he always talk this much, Sir?"

Raynor shrugged and sent his troops to collect another suspicious canister of sample "Yep, once you get him in a fight he never shuts up."

Tychus continued his victory speech "Just wake me up when you're ready. I reckon a small nuke ought to do it." He chuckled before finishing the transmission.

The raiders had moved on to scavenging the second base, setting up another Command Center to gather up the minerals and gas of Valhalla for the freighters. Unlike the first base, this base actually had resource sources.

It didn't take long for the Odin to be repaired fully, nor did it take long for Tychus to grow impatient again. With "C'mon, Jimmy! We got heads to break!" the Odin began stepping forward again, toward the ramp to the plateau that held the next Dominion base… where a lot of Marauders that tried to accost the Odin were cut down by the supporting Raiders before they could do too much damage. Other than that and a minor scare with some Diamondbacks, all went well (The newly refitted Wraiths took care of the Diamondbacks in short order.)

Horner whistled as he looked at his console "Three bases down, maybe the convict has his uses after all." The last building of the third base, a Factory, crumbled seconds after Matt finished, as if on cue.

"Y'know, I think I'll take me another breather. You better get some back up ready for me, Jimmy." Tychus announced, stopping the Odin near the ramp down to the fourth Dominion base. In response, Raynor sent some more Raiders up to follow the Odin, as well as more Wraiths. "I see your little guys running around down there, Jimmy. Heh, they look like ants… You reckon these Dominion boys will put up a fight this time? I barely broke a sweat." After a minute or two of pondering, Tychus decided enough was enough. "Here we go. I'm hitting my stride now!"

Matt checked the latest scans of the Dominion bases "This is going to get tricky, I'm detecting a Battlecruiser with Banshees at the next base and the Odin doesn't have strong anti-air capabilities."

Raynor shrugged "We should have enough Wraiths to handle them, but let's scramble a couple more just to be sure."

* * *

_Five Minutes Later…_

"Now that was fun! Don't worry, old buddy, I'll give you some time to catch up." Tychus grinned.

* * *

_Another Five Minutes Later…_

"Well I'll be, those Dominion egg heads really thought of everything. Pardon me a moment. There we go. Heh. You ready yet? I hope you're reading this, Jimmy, 'cause I'm heading for the last base now!" The Odin trundled into motion again, with the Raiders following, grabbing another suspicious sample along the way. The Wraith group had moved directly from the third base toward the fourth, finding a hidden Dominion Battlecruiser that looked upgraded docked to the ground but about to take off. It was apparently designated a Loki… Raynor's cloaked Wraiths took care of it in short order, but not before the Odin attracted some more attention.

"Sir, I'm picking up Dominion battlecruisers on an intercept course with the Odin."

"Hey now, that ain't fair!"

One of the Dominion idiots actually talked on an open channel "The Odin is in range, fire the Yamato cannon!" Two Yamato Cannon shots, which were down-powered to prevent damage to the facility, hit the Odin with no real effect before the Wraiths arrived

"Can I get some RCVs to fix this up? Feels a mite sluggish, Jimmy." Tychus said after the Wraiths, Odin and even the Raiders took down the two Battlecruisers. Raynor had both of the RCVs that followed them deal with the repairs, which were rather quickly concluded, with all the Raiders pitching in with their own VERY limited repair suites.

After the Odin was fully repaired and got moving again, Tychus noticed something right before he was about to start in on the last base "Hello there, now how'd I miss this button with a skull on it?" He pressed it and read the words on the screen "nuclear missile bay opening, firing in 10, 9, 8…"

Tychus grinned "Oh baby! You're in for a world of pain!" He then realized the target area was a bit too close to his vehicle, so as soon as the missile began its ascent he turned and ordered the Raiders to run, then ran for it too, the Raiders using their packs to stay out of his way. "This is gonna hurt you a lot more than it's gonna hurt me!" He shouted back at the Dominion base as they finally got to a safe distance and stopped. They turned to watch the flash, through polarized, instantly darkened glass, of the tactical nuke going off. "BOOM, baby!" Tychus hollered before charging forward into the ruins of the Dominion base. "You want some of this?" He shouted before he fired his artillery cannons at the Command Center, which collapsed under the strain. Tychus Findlay then laughed and opened fire with his cannons "Time to kick ass and chew bubble gum!"

Once the last Dominion building and trooper was hunted down, Horner clapped his hands together "Excellent! With the Odin secured we can hit the UNN complex on Korhal and make our broadcast much more easily."

"Hey can ya hear me 'Captain'? Maybe next time you'll trust old Tychus with a little bit o' mayhem." Tychus yelled as he jumped out of the Odin, hitting the ground dramatically with one fist and the other knee, before looking up at the crowd of Raiders, who collectively applauded his performance.

Raynor snorted "Huh, I trust you will helping Rory and Stetmann improve our stuff, Tychus, what are you talking about?"

* * *

_Near Sigmaris Prime, Armoury, Hyperion, September 22, 3868_

"Well, you fought real well out there, Tychus. Your time in the freezer didn't dull your edge none." Raynor said casually "Though you've gotten a bit rusty about the comm. options switches."

Tychus shrugged "Well, engineering, good technology and violence always did bring out the best in me. About the switch, how was I to know they were over my right shoulder?"

Raynor shrugged too "Meh, you always were a bit of a techie. Have to admit, we always did make a good team."

"Yeah, well, that was until I went to prison… and you went legit."

Raynor winced, "Right… So how does the Odin rate as a fighting machine?"

"Well, not quite as good as the Bricks were, but at least I actually got to stride around dispensing righteous fury as opposed to babysitting some RCVs somewhere random, like an asteroid where there's interesting samples. Just about brought a tear to my eye too… Heh. You just let me know when I can take it out for another spin!"

"You'll get your chance soon enough, old buddy, don't you worry."Raynor said, smacking Tychus's shoulder plate "How's the modifications to the Odin going?"

"Great so far, we're gonna be a hell of a lot faster when we feel like being that way, and the thing actually has structural fields and stuff now… add the shield and you can endure a full-powered Yamato shot if you're lucky." Tychus responded "Why don't you ask Swann about it? I'm trying to install some hardware here…"

"Alright, Tychus, I'll be seeing you." Raynor went over to where Swann was working "So Swann, what're the chances we can build something like that Odin?"

"We won't be able to mass-produce those things on that scale, and even if we could I'd much prefer building Titans, way faster, so the range disadvantage compared to the artillery takes care of itself."

Raynor shook his head dramatically "And here I was thinking you could build anything, Swann."

"Cute, alright, forget the scale! I'm gonna figure it out, don't you worry. And I'll come up with something a damn sight more practical than that show piece. You see if I don't!" Swann said, waving Raynor off, before muttering "I just hope our facilities can handle building something heavier than an Obsidian, good thing our Restorers can airlift T3 units other than Armoured Assault Bots into combat… things won't be that hefty anyways."

"Well good luck, Rory, Doctor Hanson, what are you doing here?"

"Well, with the new samples and data, we've gotten Perdition Turrets ready for use in the near future, they can both 'burrow'" Raynor blinked and rubbed his eyes theatrically at the sight of the Doctor using air quotes "and cloak. Also, the two Coalition-issue flamethrowers really do some damage, especially with the Thermite threads they have, plus the fact that most of the volume is white phosphorus in napalm… But anyways, I'm here to report that the Dominion is getting into some pretty advanced weapons technology. The Odin's arm guns are 35 damage per shot, by the Coalition scaling system for the things, though the firing rate's low. That's some good firepower, but their biological sciences are still as terrible as ever."

* * *

_Still Near Sigmaris Prime, Bridge, Hyperion, September 22, 3868_

Matt looked around cautiously before speaking "Sir, when Tychus came back aboard the ship, I had the techs run a scan on him."

Raynor sighed and rolled his eyes "Matt, you need to get a hobby."

Matt shook his head "Seriously Sir, his suit contains a sophisticated transponder…if it receives the correct code, it'll shut down all his major organs. That suit is a death trap."

Raynor frowned deeply "He's got a gun to his head."

"And who's got their finger on the trigger? Moebius?"

Raynor shook his head, looking toward the bridge "windows" "Tychus, what have you gotten yourself into?"

* * *

_High Orbit over Korhal, Cantina, Hyperion, September 25, 3868_

Surprisingly, it was not the irritating face of Donny Vermillion that came on UNN this time "This is Kate Lockwell reporting from UNN headquarters on Korhal. Let's go to Donny Vermillion, on special assignment."

The ticker rolled silently "Authorities impound all privately owned vessels" and "Dead Man's Port reclamation project put on hold" were noted by Raynor, though they were not very important, at least, not for now.

Vermillion spoke "Kate, I'm very pleased to be talking to General Horace Warfield. General, I understand that Dominion Forces will soon be showing off their newest weapon, the Odin war machine?"

Warfield nodded "That's correct, Donny. We'll show the Odin on the streets of Korhal itself, with full coverage from your fine network."

The next ticker item was also noted by Raynor "Emperor declares moratorium on interplanetary travel" was amusing, as if Mengsk could control anything worth controlling…

"General, Kate Lockwell here. I've heard rumblings about some sort of logistics trouble with the Odin's debut?"

Vermillion frowned "Now Kate!"

Warfield ignored the man "It's true, Kate. The Odin was delayed in shipping, and we briefly lost communication with the production facility. But it arrived safely, so we can go ahead with the unveiling."

"Zerg sightings on Moria false alarm according to KMC" was another bit of relief delivered by the ticker, though "Kyla Velassi detained for possessing controlled substances" was useless.

"You heard it here first. The Dominion will be unveiling new weapons of destruction on the streets of Korhal!" Donny paused before saying "What is wrong with that woman? Tell her not to interrupt my interviews!" As if he himself didn't interrupt Kate all the time…

"Your boy Horner is actually pulling this off. Gotta say, I'm mighty impressed." Tychus said, taking a swig from his bottle of whiskey. Raynor, sitting across the table with his Korhal Brandy, shrugged.

* * *

_High Orbit over Korhal, Bridge, Hyperion, September 26, 3868_

"Arcturus Mengsk's Homeworld of Korhal was once a prosperous colony until it was obliterated by Confederate nukes. Vast fortunes have been lavished on the planet's reconstruction since Emperor Mengsk took the throne four years ago." The Adjutant finished her traditional narration on a sarcastic note before falling silent.

"We have the Odin, now we can use it to spearhead our take-over of the UNN studios on Korhal. Once the Odin has taken out their defences, we'll broadcast our evidence against Mengsk. Figure they'll throw everything they have at us. They'll be talking about this one for years." Matt said, resting his hand over his fist on the table before him.

"Too bad we couldn't deploy the Bricks; then again it would be far too suspicious to do that so early into the revolution." Raynor muttered. "Start the op, Matt."

"Alright, our raid on the Valhalla facility hasn't even been reported yet. The Dominion troops have no idea we stole the Odin." Matt reported "I had to call in some favours and pay a lot of people off, but I got the Odin on the surface, with Tychus inside."

"Matt, you're a miracle worker. It must have been a complicated operation."

Matt shuddered; thinking about how the Raiders had dressed up in the dead Dominion troops' armour to fool the pick-up crew into thinking everything was fine, though they did wonder why the Odin was picked up so far from Valhalla. The psi-capable Raiders made a big difference by "persuading" the Dominion pick-up crew that they had been taking the Odin out for final trials when the crew arrived to pick it up. From that it had been one covert operation after another. Apparently neither Raynor nor Tychus mentioned Tychus' tech prowess and ability to wire doors… "You don't even want to know sir. I'm not going to let anything keep up from exposing Mengsk."

Raynor nodded in understanding "So they're still expecting to film it at the UNN studio later today?" He looked at the broadcast, standing near the holo table.

"That's right, and we won't disappoint them. Seeing as he's the only one with experience, Tychus will pilot the Odin and hit the studio guards with a surprise attack. They'll be confused for several minutes, and won't even know who to attack at first."

"And during the confusion, we'll establish a forward base using this command center we 'acquired' earlier." Raynor used air quotes around the "acquired" then nodded, grinning "Pretty devious, Matt. I like it."

"If Tychus can inflict enough damage during the sneak attack, making the broadcast should be relatively easy." Matt said, watching the beginning of the parade to celebrate the unveiling of the Odin. "Keep in mind; we'll only have a few minutes before the Dominion realizes that Tychus is in the Odin. Once they figure it out they'll use everything they've got to stop us."

"Whatever happens, we'll be giving Mengsk one hell of a broadcast." Raynor said, before turning and walking back to his strategic control console, sitting down in the comfortable chair, he grinned and leaned forward toward the controls "Let's do this."

"I'm in the Dominion security network, bringing up their locations now." Matt reported after a moment, just as the Odin reached the central square of the operation area.

Raynor nodded "Alright, Tychus, do your thing."

* * *

_Korhal, September 25, 3868_

Tychus grinned behind his polarized visor, sitting in the Odin's cockpit, and flexed his muscles "Thought you'd never ask." The two Goliaths walking in front of the Odin turned into scrap metal as he backpedalled, squishing the Marines that had been walking behind him with ridiculous ease before lurching forward, firing the cannons again and brewing up more Dominion troops before he stampeded them, the incoming fire was utterly ineffective against the newly-installed structural fields and shields.

The Coalition had not released nanolathing technology to the Raiders yet, but they had released structural fields, personal shields and over-shields to the Raiders for installation in their vehicles, in addition to the improved articulators that enabled the Odin to walk far faster than the design specs had originally called for. The net result was the Odin not taking a speck of damage from the Dominion troops firing on it while immolating said troops and/or running them over when they were just too close to the crowds. Tychus was using its four light plasma cannons (refitted arm guns, equivalent to a Tigershark T1 Attack Sub's deck gun, 25 DPS, 1 shot per second) to great effect against the masses of weak enemies, cyclic-firing them and using stomping whenever the enemies were too close to the civilians.

Tychus was at heart a criminal, true, but he had principles, and number one of said principles was not to harm anyone who does not try to stop you unless absolutely necessary. With the fact that the Dominion troops seemed to stay away from the Civilians, keeping them back, this was by no means a difficult principle to maintain.

Meanwhile, the ant-like civilians below him were panicking "What's wrong with that thing! It's gone crazy!" "Find some place to hide!" "It's gonna kill us all! Help!" were heard before Tychus rolled his eyes; didn't they know he had principles? Then again with the way he'd blasted the Siege Tanks up ahead and the Mengsk statue with his refitted artillery cannons, they might not think he had any sanity left… whatever… "It's gone crazy! Run!" he heard while clearing out the last Dominion troops, turning around and walking off toward the nearest Dominion base. "It's making pot holes!"That was the last he heard of the scared civilians, he laughed, of course such a heavy machine would make pot holes, indeed, when a Brick Armoured Assault Bot walked on softer types of ground, it would make foxholes before the inertial and mass manipulation systems kicked in and kept the thing up. As most people know, potholes are shallow; foxholes are enough to hide a soldier or two in.

He neared the Dominion base before firing off two shells from his artillery cannons, each being equivalent to a Medusa-class Mobile Light Artillery. It added up to over a kiloton's worth of power expended against one Bunker, which left a smoking crater where the bunker once was. Tychus blinked slowly… "Okay then…" He fired one artillery round at each of the other bunkers, smashing them, before he stomped his way into the base and blew apart a Siege Tank with one shot. "This thing's really been upgraded, hasn't it?" Before, the shot could have cooked off the tank, yes, but not in such a spectacular manner.

"Yep" Swann replied "It used to qualify as a Tier 2.7 or thereabouts in firepower, but not in durability. Now, I believe it qualifies as a Tier 3 unit, easily, with its artillery cannons."

"What the hell's going on?" The Dominion sent out a confused transmission, unfortunately for them, the only receivers still able to hear anything in the area were Raynor's Raiders, since the whole area's communications had been jammed and Horner had hacked the landlines.

Tychus levelled one structure after another in short order, blowing supply depots to pieces with his artillery cannons, one shot per depot, while blasting pieces from the factories and barracks structures with the arm plasma cannons, which weren't as powerful as his old guns in single-shot damage but cycled faster to more than make up for it, after all, his old guns could cook most things in one shot. This was of course after he'd rather forcibly taken down the units that dared fire back, aka everything besides the Missile Turrets. The explosions and popping of ammunition cooking off was music to Tychus's ears.

"Odin has gone rogue. Repeat, Odin has gone rogue!" A Dominion transmission reached Tychus, who laughed, since the comms were jammed. "Bring it down!"

After he tore the base to scrap metal, and blasted the scrap to smaller, more difficult to salvage pieces, Tychus stomped southeast toward a second Dominion base near the third UNN transmission tower. He didn't notice the lone cloaked Banshee flying south to warn the second base of his attack.

"Rogue Odin spotted. Bring it down!" five Siege Tanks tried to stop Tychus with long-ranged artillery fire. The explosives from the 150mm artillery cannons impacted the over-shield bubble of the Odin, detonated, and did absolutely nothing besides start a light show and tell Tychus the shields had dropped by about twelve percent (2000 shield points, 48 per tank shell against larger targets, note that only 12 against small like RCVs or Raiders, 24 vs. Medium i.e. Diamondbacks, the new Vultures, T1 units etc.) "Concentrate fire on the Odin!" The Dominion officer, whoever it was, yelled, just before he fell silent and cut the line as his five Siege Tanks exploded in a string of explosions that rendered whatever orders he was about to give moot.

"Behold the Dominion's newest weapon of war - the Odin!" a Mengsk statue announced, before continuing, as Tychus strolled by, blasting the ground to clear out the Spider Mines hiding there. "Human tenacity and ingenuity have come together to forge the final answer to the Zerg threat!" Raynor was reminded of a quote from the Overlord Tank from Command & Conquer: Generals, during their tour of the Coalition, the Raiders had a LOT of spare time to kill, so… yeah. "Some might baulk at the cost of such a magnificent machine, but I say to you - what price do you put on your loved ones' security? Arcturus (recording): This mighty steel giant stands as a testimony to the skill and determination of our Dominion engineers and scientists! Implacable, Relentless, Invincible, the Odin is a stirring symbol of the unyielding strength of the Terran Dominion!"

"Man, I am so sick of seeing Mengsk's face! Tychus do me a favour, and blast any of those damned statues you see." Raynor sent to Tychus, who casually blasted apart three Mengsk Statues within his reach.

"Sure thing, Jim, here we go!" Tychus stomped his way into the third Dominion base and set about chewing up everything his guns could reach.

"An alert's gone out! It won't be long before they shut me out of their system." Horner announced, frantically typing away at his console.

Tychus waved it off "Don't rush me, kid. Can't a man take some pleasure in his work?" He blasted a couple more buildings to scrap, chuckling.

While Tychus took his sweet time scrapping the base, Raynor was busy building up a strike force in the southwest of the operation area, using his newly gathered minerals and vespene to quickly assemble the newest toys Swann had come up with.

"We're almost out of time!" Matt announced.

Tychus moved south toward a building marked in Dominion colours but read as Korhal civilians "So are these guys! Heh, don't sweat it. Jim, send over some Raiders, there's something seriously wrong with this building, I can tell… And you remember how great my instincts were back in the day, it probably holds some critical information we'll want to have soon enough."

Horner gave up and switched tactics "The Dominion's switched to a secure channel. I can't track their positions anymore. But I have gained access to the UNN network. We'll need troops to stay close to one of the broadcast towers long enough to get our message out. For our broadcast to reach all of Dominion space we'll need to control each broadcast tower long enough to upload the data. Any unit type can maintain control."

"You can bet Mengsk will have something to say about that. Let's get moving. Tychus, come back to base."

* * *

After "accidentally" levelling a Dominion resource base rather methodically, the Odin, conspicuously without even a single scratch in the paint, walked its way into the Raider's base, coming face-to-face with a bunch of Raiders and RCVs milling about. It had taken out a Dominion Banshee wing with its newly installed Nanodart battery (Identical to that of T2 Siren-class Cruisers) en route, as well as a rather large number of land units.

Swann put in a word from the armoury "New hardware inbound! These Thors are smaller than the Odin but they handle better, and they still hit hard. Enjoy!"

"This big dog is all mine, by the way!" Tychus set out a disclaimer. "By the way, Jim, checked out that building I asked you to check out yet?"

"Yeah, a squad of raiders went over there and found some covert files we still have to decrypt… and torched the place."

"Excellent." Tychus nodded approvingly.

The Thor parts were quickly assembled at the factory, quad plasma cannons and four artillery cannons gave it close to the same firepower as the Odin, except the artillery threw out weaker shells, only the equivalent of a Lobo bomblet (120 damage vs. the Medusa's 200, I think), though with the same cycling rate as the Odin's guns. The smaller walker moved out of the Factory and stood next to its larger brother, piloted by another Raider who had hopped on. It was classed as Tier 2 by Swann, though it was more powerful than the Obsidian Medium Armour, hence it was more like a light T3, despite its relative slowness (only capable of 50 meters a second, very slow indeed compared to other T3 units and many T2 units). What made Swann proud was the fact that he assembled it from almost entirely Tier 1 technologies, although the AA was Tier 2. In his opinion, he'd done a damn good job with the tech the Coalition had considered safe to release to the Raiders, tech that wouldn't do TOO much if it fell into the hands of the enemy. He was looking forward to Seth coming by and figuring out the situation needed a larger tech release. The only thing the Raiders had that was outfitted with full-powered T3 tech was their Restorers, Continental and carried units, and of course the Hyperion itself, well, the new Hyperion…

After cranking out nine Thors, Raynor moved the group out, leaving three to defend the base along with the patrolling groups of Raiders. Tychus led the attack on the transmission tower designated 3, in the southeast, which he'd already cleared out. The group of Thors and the Odin were being supported by RCVs for repairs while they stomped through the Dominion patrols that took up position in that area, while the Hyperion's Wraith squadrons took care of the air units the Dominion had brought in with nigh-ridiculous ease.

"Too bad the UNN hardware is so primitive…we could have uploaded this thing in a millisecond." Tychus grumbled as the RCV parked there under the tower and hooked into its systems, the estimated time was measured in dozens of seconds to hack through all the firewalls, since the processors were simply too slow to handle the hacking programs the Raiders could employ. It was almost pathetic, the slowness of the processors being hacked was slowing down the hacking!

After the tower was captured, Tychus marched north, blowing more Dominion armour to bits on his way, and settled near the second tower. While waiting around, the ever-irritating Arcturus Mengsk made another broadcast "There's only one man arrogant enough to think he can get away with this… Raynor!"

Raynor snorted "Just for once Arcturus, this really is all about you. I hope you enjoy our show." He sent over an open channel.

"I knew it. Warfield! Get your men down there. I want Raynor's head, you understand! Him and all his terrorist friends!"

"Security breach at one of the towers. Strike team Alpha, engage! Stop them!" Warfield announced a large wing of Vikings and Banshees descending from low orbit toward the second tower, where Tychus's crew was currently parked, their Flayers and Nanodarts turning toward the skies, preparing to intercept the enemy fighters.

"Attention rogue pilot. This is General Warfield of Dominion command. You are ordered to stand down or face immediate termination."

"Yee haw!" Tychus announced as the RCV finished uploading the files and the armoured column lumbered into motion again, the wing of Banshees and Vikings engaging the protective, automated Wraiths the Raiders had patrolling the area. The Flayers and Nanodarts of the Thors and Odin opened up in one torrent of anti-air firepower, blasting Banshees and Vikings out of the skies with relative ease.

"Kill team Renegade, take down the Odin! I'm counting on you boys!" Warfield ordered, seemingly unafraid of broadcasting on an open channel. Suffice it to say that Tychus was very surprised when a large group of Reapers flitted around the Odin and Thors, taking advantage of the poor manoeuvrability of the walkers to hurl their anti-structure charges at the building-like machines. Then he grinned and called in the Raiders.

The Raiders had some major advantages over Reapers, namely the much heavier weapons and their ability to actually fly instead of merely boosting around. They also had sniping and in some cases Psi-capability on their side, it was unfortunate that Terrazine would accelerate neural degradation, but it was still good to have Psi-capable troops on your side.

"Kill Team Death Dealers, retire that Odin for me!" Warfield cried as his Reapers were getting slaughtered. A sharp whistling in the sky alerted the raiders to fly out of the way in time for the Odin to be hit by a volley of Siege tank fire, the walker's shields rippling under the volley of impacts before it turned, its artillery guns pointing in the direction the enemy Siege Tanks had fired from, and fired off a fully volley, the Thors following suit. The return fire this time was a few sparse rounds, and after the Odin and Thors fired again, there was no more return fire, as they approached the third and final UNN tower, surrounded by a Dominion base.

"The Odin is still standing? Take it down! Now!" Warfield shouted.

"We're almost done transmitting Mengsk's dirty little secret to the Dominion. Go boys!" Raynor shouted over the comms, earning a roar of approval as the line of walkers opened up as one, raining destruction down on the soldiers and structures of the Dominion in a display of the power of the Raiders equipped with Coalition-standard technologies.

After the base was smoking dust, the RCV following the group went up to the tower and hooked up, Raynor saying in approval "Good job boys… That's the last one! Let's see what the people will think of their beloved emperor now!"

"Hey, you mind picking us all up now?"

"All transmissions have been sent, Sir. Every world in the Dominion just got a 'UNN special bulletin' about Mengsk." Horner said, grinning, just like every other member of Raynor's crew, on Korhal or on the Hyperion.

"Alright, boys, evac shuttles are en route. Let's get out of here. We can enjoy the results from a nice, safe distance."

* * *

_Cantina, Hyperion, September 25, 3868_

_Six Hours after Broadcast_

Lee Keno was saying "…these shocking revelations…" before the screen cut out to an image of Michael Liberty before his death "…a veritable firestorm of anti-Mengsk sentiment…"

The screen switched, Raynor frowned while Matt did nothing but watch the next clip "…the Emperor held a news conference earlier today. Cut to Mengsk's conference room."

The ticker rolled "This is UNN with Kate Lockwell" was a change, and so was "Emperor Mengsk addresses Dominion". Raynor was pondering the odd image he had seen a moment ago between the scenes.

A reporter asked "Emperor, how do you respond to these allegations of genocide! Of using aliens to—"

He was cut off by the Emperor's voice "I assure you, these slanderous attacks against the throne are baseless and irresponsible!" The ticker said the same thing "Emperor denies allegations"

The camera cut to Kate Lockwell, who had raised her hand and stood up "Sir, do you still stand by the sentiment that selfless devotion to the people is the basis of your rule?"

Mengsk threw his arms up over his head and looked up as if explaining to an idiot "Well, of course! I was called upon to serve the greater interest of humanity! Personal power was never my goal!" The ticker said "Zerg advance continues. Millions more dead", Raynor knew that it was mainly because of Mengsk that that ticker was true.

"Then how would you characterize these statements?" Kate raised her other hand, which contained an audio playback device.

The next ticker item, "Emperor Approval rating 14% a record low", made Raynor and Matt give a rumble of approval before listening to the playback.

The recording began to speak "…I will not be stopped. Not by you or the Confederates or the Protoss or anyone! I will rule this sector or see it burnt to ashes around me!" the conference room was filled with shocked exclamations the moment the recording ended. Cameras began flashing and Mengsk tried to shield his face with his right arm before pounding it on the podium.

"I…" Mengsk actually sounded speechless as the ticker rolled "This is UNN", though Raynor thought it was more accurate to call it The Obvious Network… hmm, TON, sounds catchy… "I won't stand for this!" He leaned forward over the podium/lectern (depending on vocabulary correctness) "You jackals think you can come in here and question ME?" He pushed himself back "This interview is over!" He turned and walked away as the ticker said "Emperor Mengsk accused of inciting Zerg invasion of Tarsonis" and the feed cut out.

Raynor leaned back, looking up at Matt, who stood beside him "Y'know I love seeing him squirm, but the Dominion's just going to spin this like they do everything else."

Matt began rummaging in a cabinet for something, saying "Not this time. Mengsk used the media as a weapon for years, now we've turned it against him. One broadcast and it won us a bigger victory than a hundred battles… Now where did Tychus store his invention? Oh yeah, here, want a snack?" He held out one of Tychus's Energy Bar Cigars, popular among the Raiders for cleaning your lungs, breath, and providing something to chew on, in addition to giving extra energy for a fight and of course looking badass. Raynor took it with a nod as Matt leaned on the bar next to him.

"I guess you're right, well it's what we started this revolution for in the first place… We've got a long way to go, but maybe we started something here."

Matt shrugged, starting to chew on his cigar, the end that wasn't coloured orange "Hearts and minds man, just like you always said."

Raynor sniffed his cigar before putting it in his mouth "Y'know Matt, someday you're going to wind up leading this bunch of misfits."

Matt shook his head "Oh, no…that's what I keep you around for…sir." The two men shared a laugh before Tychus walked up.

Before the big man could speak, Raynor made a comment "So are ya thinking about giving up this life of luxury and becoming a professional broadcaster?"

Tychus waved his hand dismissively "Aw, regular folk just aren't ready for the raw sex appeal I'd unleash into their grey little lives. I reckon my niche is right here with you, old buddy…right to the end."

"I'm glad you're part of all this, Tychus. You did real well today." Raynor said, standing up and slapping Tychus on the back of his armour.

"By the way, Jim, I was coming over to tell you the Adjutant found something very interesting… something you and Horner might want a look at…" Tychus fidgeted nervously, his visor still fully polarized.

"Well, Tychus, here she comes now…" Raynor gestured with his cigar, pointing it at the lithe cybernetic woman walking over right now.

"Well, Mr. Horner" The adjutant's voice was sweet and husky, Matt gulped; the Adjutant never addressed him as Mr. Horner after she got an independent body, unless she was making fun of or angry at him. "I found a little something in that last UNN clip you just watched… do you want to see it?"

"Well, what was it, Adjutant?" Jim asked.

"Alright, since Jim just gave me that order, I guess I'll follow it." Without even gesturing, the screen, being part of the Hyperion and therefore at least partly controlled by the Adjutant, lit up with a greyscale image.

Tychus finally couldn't hold it in any longer after what the Adjutant had revealed to him ahead of anyone else, bursting into howling laughter and falling to the ground, rolling and kicking while he opened his visor to wipe away the tears. Horner and Raynor wore identical looks of shock on their faces at the image, though Jim snapped out of it first, sliding backward off his bar stool, laughing his ass off.

Matt was literally shaking in shock "What… the… HELL?" He continued his gaping at the image of himself flying, arms spread out, with Nova, NOVA of all people, straddling his back and her arm up making a victory sign! When the hell had this picture been taken and why the hell did he not remember it? Also, if it was edited, why would anyone bother with him?

The rest of the Raiders in the Cantina were attracted by the laughter and came over, causing Horner to cover the screen with his body and order everyone to go back to their stations. "Adjutant, please don't tell me you put it on every screen in the Hyperion…" He said in a small, pleading voice, once the Raiders had scattered.

"Nah, I don't do undermining the chain of command." The Adjutant waved it off. "I just wanted to tell you that that was in the broadcast for some reason."

One long silence later, Raynor and Tychus finally stopped laughing and picked themselves back off the floor "So, Matt, you planning another strike against Mengsk?"

Matt Horner was relieved to have an easy way out of the predicament he was in "Not just yet, sir. I figured we need to focus on the Zerg first. Overthrowing Mengsk won't mean anything if we can't beat them."

"True. Freedom isn't worth squat if Kerrigan kills us all, that's for sure. Guess Mengsk can wait…" Raynor looked down at his drink as his crew put comforting hands on his shoulders.

* * *

_Laboratory, Hyperion, September 25, 3868_

Raynor had just entered the lab and was about to speak when the Doctor started first "We sure gave Mengsk a kick in the balls!" Hanson cheered, raising her fists in the air before blinking and remembering her usual behaviour "Excuse me; I don't usually have outbursts like that."

"Ah, it's all right… so have you guys come up with anything new and interesting for us?"

"Nah, I and Stetmann are considering a project to do something about the Command Center's inability to fight, but we're still working out the kinks in the system."

"No rush, Doc, I should really go congratulate Swann on his Thor design."

* * *

_Armoury, Hyperion, September 25, 3868_

"Ha! Ya see? I told you I could build something better than that piece of crap Odin." Swann said triumphantly

"I like that. That's the spirit, brother! Show 'em who is boss!" Raynor gave Swann a clap on the back.

"Got some work to do on the chassis still, but I got to thinking about upgrades, ya know? They aren't gonna be cheap, cowboy. Big honking thing like that never is. But they'll be worth it, you'll see."

"That's what I like to hear! Take a look and see what's affordable, or build-able with our current Coalition tech clearance, every little bit helps."

"Sure, boss."

* * *

_Bridge, Hyperion, September 26, 3868_

_Sixteen Hours after Broadcast_

"You might want to see this, sir." Matt Horner said, walking up to Raynor once he entered the Bridge.

The latest UNN clip came on "Kate Lockwell here, live from Korhal. There's rioting in the streets. Citizens are setting fire to government buildings to express their shock and anger at the startling revelations from earlier today! Donny, what's the situation where you are?"

The ticker rolled slowly as Vermillion sat in the studio, looking stunned with his left eye twitching every few seconds. "Emperor Mengsk: I will rule this sector or see it burned to the ground around me" The ticker read, before Kate asked a question.

"Uh, Donny? Are you there?"

The man seemed not to hear Kate, eye still twitching away "I had a brother on Tarsonis. I had a brother there! Um, I… um…"

The shot cut back to Lockwell, who blinked before saying "Right. Thanks for that, Donny. Okay, Emperor Mengsk broadcast a statement earlier today. Unfortunately, UNN's satellites were on lockdown at the time. Let's replay a bit of that."

The ticker began repeating its earlier message as Mengsk was shown "This evidence has been falsified! The enemies of the Dominion will go to any length to soil my good reputation! These ruthless, slanderous attacks cannot—" At that a tsunami of sound overran Mengsk more thoroughly than the Zerg had overrun Tarsonis.

The clip cut back to Lockwell "At that point the Emperor was shouted down. He's since retreated to his palace and refuses to speak to anyone. In this reporter's opinion, Emperor Mengsk has been revealed as a—"

The signal cut out abruptly after that. Raynor blinked before saying "If anything happens to that woman, I'd feel sorry for Mengsk, since just the civilians of Korhal have enough Molotovs and other stuff to overrun his palace, regardless of casualties… Anyways, Matt, I just came to tell you, from what I've seen, those classified documents we found on Korhal weren't anything special. They just referred to some old bio-weapons lab orbiting Castanar."

Matt shook his head in disagreement "I think this one might be different. The files suggest they were planning to terminate everyone who ever worked there."

"I assume that doesn't mean 'firing' them... But why would Mengsk want to kill a whole research staff?"

Horner shook his head, frowning "I don't know, but it seems like something we should check out."

"It does, indeed." Raynor nodded "Let's get moving in a few hours, the men need to sleep off their hangovers, or in some cases get shots." He thought of all the two hundred Raiders who had seemed to think they with their combined numbers could out-drink Tychus, as in out-do the Adjutant where Tychus failed. Let's just say that they helped get rid of a very small fraction of the Raiders' enormous amount of stored funds, and Raynor was happy to see it go. His latest headaches had centered on how to spend it fast enough so the bank accounts did not come under investigation by various authorities after all. Said two hundred-some Raiders who'd forgotten the Adjutant could not be out-drunk or simply were too new to the organization to have learned had needed detox shots before being sent to their bunks, and would likely need the shots again in the morning. The shots made the hangovers less serious but still irritating, hence preventing the crew from overindulging too often.

Jim, on the other hand, along with Tychus, Swann, Horner, and Matt, had enjoyed a small amount each of Serrice Ice Brandy. Seth had sent two bottles, imported from the Asari Republics, as a congratulatory gift for the excellent broadcast and Thor design's ingenuity, though Seth also expressed regret at being tied up for the moment. The blue liquor had been great stuff, and they'd saved half of the bottle and the whole of the second bottle. The five had agreed that they would finish the first bottle when either the Queen of Blades or Mengsk was done for, and finish the whole second bottle in one go when they'd finished the job and were about to go help the Protoss out in whatever capacity they could.

* * *

COALITION MILITARY CODEX: WRAITH FIGHTER (RAYNOR'S RAIDERS)

The Wraith is a venerable design native to the Koprulu Sector. During the Second Great War Raynor's Raiders modified these aircraft to Coalition standards. It has proved to be a very effective Tech 1 Fighter/Attacker, and the Coalition is willing to field something like it as part of their T1 air forces. This aircraft's most distinctive design element is the long airfoil extending from the bottom, allowing for excellent manoeuvrability in atmosphere and the mounting of a laser at the end.

This laser served as a ground-attack weapon for the original Wraith. It has since been replaced by a Light Pulse Laser, the same type as is found on the Mantis T1 Light Armour, which in fact quite effective against typical T1 units (or in this case Dominion units), as the Wraith is effectively a fighter with some gunship functionality. The anti-air weaponry consists of two Nanodart Launchers, of the same type as found on Sky Slammers, dealing 18 DPS each, 36 total, according to the 3860 edition point system.

The one weakness of the Wraith, besides the fact that it is cloaked but not stealthed, is that it is more fragile than gunships, only being on par in fields and armour with Attack Bombers, and more expensive than said Bombers. However, it is only slower than Scouts and Interceptors among T1 units, and does have cloaking. It is also the only T1 Air Unit so far to use missiles for AA weaponry, as no others do so far.

Aesthetically, the Raider Wraith is in the matte black of the Cybran Nation with cool blue UEF circuitry (and blue paintjob, since Cybran Red, though brighter, was still too reminiscent of Dominion Red) and more critical areas encased in the shining midnight blue plating of the Seraphim Republic. This was due to the fact that Seraphim plating is somewhat tougher than Aeon, which is tougher than Cybran, but Cybran plating usually allows for the most manoeuvrability for its weight/size. The Nanodart Launchers are almost at the tips of the wings (other than a small area to blunt accidental bumps and scrapes) and are built into the wings, and the reactor core has been replaced by a quantum core, self-repair programs have also been included.

END OF CODEX ENTRY

FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE GO TO "RAYNOR'S RAIDERS"

* * *

A/N: I just figured out that the Apocalypse missions need to be changed… big time. Thanks for the reminder! It may take two chapters to cover them… since the main change will be in the end of the third mission and the whole of In Utter Darkness.

I should probably put the Thor and Vulture Codices (plural for Codex) somewhere… all in good time, though with my update speed, that time will probably be quite soon.


	10. Denied Ops

A/N: Just realized that with all their new hardware, this is going to be absurdly easy… and I think they stand a good chance of killing the Hybrid too or at least of slowing it down enough to eventually kill it.

Oh, and the Odin only has 4 plasma cannons, 2 per arm… There will soon be a reckoning to show the power of the new Wraiths. ALL ACUs/SCUs are FA standard, but with around 40000 HP per ACU, I mean, 10000 is just absurdly small for such a big unit…

I didn't say I didn't realize the Apocalypse missions needed changing. I just never really paid attention to those missions… Also, for the questions, the Raiders have exactly 1 Nanolathe on the Hyperion, large enough for building parts, but not for building units. They can't build new nanolathes… yet. Michael Liberty is dead; it was just an old clip from before his death that was shown.

Upgraded Units will mostly get Codices as soon as I find a Chapter that needs extra words, which may or may not be this one.

* * *

Chapter 10: Denied Ops

_Near Castanar, Bridge, Hyperion, September 26, 3868_

"Located near the Dominion's fringe. Castanar is a small, nondescript world with little in the way of natural resources. The only notable feature of the planet is the massive beryllium storage facility orbiting it on a captive asteroid." The Adjutant commented off-handedly, tapping her desk in boredom as she monitored many of the Hyperion's systems at once.

"The classified documents we found on Korhal imply the Dominion has a top secret bio-weapons lab on an orbital platform at Castanar. If the Dominion is cooking up a big surprise for us, I'd like to know about it."

Raynor nodded "So what's the scoop on this top-secret death-lab?"

Horner pointed at the star map, currently zoomed in to only show Castanar and surrounding space "This asteroid is registered as a Beryllium Storage warehouse, but that must be a cover for the Dominion's bio-lab."

"Let's hope so. We'd look pretty silly coming all this way for a few tons of Beryllium. Did those documents give us any clues as to what the Dominion's cooking up in there?"

Horner shook his head "No sir. But they did contain some of the facility's security codes, so we may be able to hack into their systems."

Raynor grinned "Sounds fun. Well, 'long as we're here, we may as well take a look. Swann, have you got anything we can bring into that facility?"

"Nah, I'm not about to program the Nanolathe to build Spider Mines for you to take with you… and nothing else fits in that door." Swann replied. The Raiders weren't given the necessary codes to produce nanolathing technology, but they had been given a small nanolathe, only 5 meters tall, to use to build parts. Apparently the Coalition was worried about nanolathing tech getting stolen… though they didn't mind handing the Raiders T1 tech and some T2 tech, plus a small task force of units.

* * *

_Secret Facility, Asteroid orbiting Castanar, September 26, 3868_

The Restorer set down twelve Raiders and Jim Raynor in his specially modified Raider suit (the troops insisted he receive the Hunker Pod, Combat Shield, and some other obscure upgrades, because he was the leader). They surveyed the outside of the facility doors first before receiving a call from Matt "Sir, parts of the facility seems to be scan shielded… our signals are breaking up left and right, and our Omni doesn't have quite the reach to penetrate that mountain the thing's set in when we're parked on the other side of the planet from the asteroid, be careful in there."

"Hey, careful is my middle name."

Matt smirked "Thought it was Eugene."

Raynor rolled his eyes "Shut it, Matt. Alright, boys, stay frosty… Surprise, surprise, the door is sealed, nothing a little Nanodart volley won't cure."

The first thing a Dominion Marine said when Raynor stepped inside the ruined doors was "This facility is strictly off limits…Raynor! Halt, you're under arrest!"

Raynor put a Gauss Chaingun bolt through the guy's head while opening up with his Temporal Fizz Launcher and Laser Battle Rifle, both of which were on his left arm, at the other Dominion troops in the area, cutting through them with the Raiders following him in and participating in the one-sided massacre "Not today, Buddy." He said.

The Raiders picked up a transmission nearby, from a Dominion Firebat and Marauder group "Fry any rebel you see." Raynor snorted and walked over to a console. "It looks like we got a reception committee waiting for us. Adjutant, activate those gun turrets and give 'em a surprise."

"System accessed. Decrypting security overrides. System control established." The cybernetic woman sounded very happy at the sudden relief from boredom.

"Well, we got the guns, should take 'em out no problem." Raynor shrugged as sounds of battle drifted over from the next room. The Raiders didn't even need to shoot as they walked through it once the sounds had faded. They entered another room, this one actually a lab… Raynor came face-to-face with a cowering scientist when he'd turned around.

"Oh my God, don't kill me!" The man squealed, Raynor rolled his eyes and leaned closer to inspect the guy. Entirely by accident, his helmet exhaust (when in safe atmospheres, air recycling is off to save power for flight/cloaking) breathed on the guy and he fainted, slumping in a boneless heap.

"Didn't know your breath was that bad, sir…" Matt observed, causing Raynor to facepalm and groan in frustration. The other Raiders chuckled in good humour at this before spreading out to check out the lab, noting the shackled Ultralisk in a corner and firing on the helpless, 20-meter tall creature, while Raynor examined the specimen tanks. "These creatures... they aren't like any Zerg I've seen before. Matt, scan their bio-signatures."

Matt replied "Hold on… the data's still coming in. Wait, sir, I'm reading both Zerg and Protoss DNA. Were those… things assimilated somehow?"

Raynor shook his head as the Ultralisk howled in pain in the background, its head tentacle spines straining at their bindings and its Kaiser blades trying to cut through the clamps that held them in place "I don't know. But I'm real curious as to what they're doing inside a Dominion lab."

One Dominion Marine's transmission was intercepted "Check it out. We got that Raynor guy trapped in lab one."

"Ha, nice" Another Marine agreed "Release the Zerg!"

The Raiders boosted themselves away from the enraged Ultralisk, but the thing remained shackled down even after the doors to the lab slammed closed. They looked around until another door to the northwest (of the op area) opened and Zerg warriors began rushing out. "Zerg! They're coming from the holding pen! Destroy it, boys, we gotta block 'em out!" Raynor yelled as he and all the other Raiders opened up, keeping at least one eye on the still angry Ultralisk at all times. Fortunately, the creature was not released, so the Raiders destroyed the holding pen gates, blocking off the flow of Zerg and collapsing the pens on them, killing the Zerglings and Hydralisks, or at least blocking them off from the Raiders' location. Then the Raiders set to work killing the wounded, shackled Ultralisk.

A while later, a volley of Nanodarts blew open a door on the east side of the lab, allowing the Raiders to leave, chewing through the Dominion troops down the ramp to the southeast. For the first time, the Raiders bothered using their grenade fabricators and stores, since a lot of the time, simply firing their weapons was more convenient, but alas, Nanodarts, Gauss Ammo, Temporal Fizzes, etc. did not bend around corners well. Grenades do bend around corners… sort of.

"Hold 'em back! Don't let 'em in the lab!" a Dominion Marauder's transmissions were caught loud and clear from the other side of another secured blast door. Raynor looked around until he noticed another console.

He walked up to the console and examined what it controlled "Looks like we got a few option on this terminal to soften 'em up before we go in. Well, I'm choosing the Zerglings, easier to kill later." He said, entering the sequence to release the Zerglings. It didn't take too long for the fighting in the next lab to die down. The Raiders then advanced into the lab and cut down the remaining Zerglings, chewing on their energy bar cigars while doing so and almost rolling their eyes at the pathetic ease of their task.

Raynor took the time to scan the tanks that lined the far wall from the entrance gate the Zerlgings had been allowed in through "Looks like the same creature was mutated and cloned over and over. Matt, you got any additional info?"

"Stetmann's been running some tests, sir. He says the specimens' DNA strands have been artificially spliced. Whoever's in charge of this mess did it deliberately."

Raynor frowned "Matt, we gonna blow this place sky high. No way can we just leave it standing. The facility power core is… over there, according to my passive sensors." He pointed vaguely to the northeast. "Hey guys, there's a second energy signature… it's inside that entrance thing, don't worry, the holding cells are sealed, so boys, blast the entrance apart so we can see what the hell that thing is."

The Raiders levelled their Nanodart Launchers and set to work, revealing a Protoss artefact just sitting there in a holding field. "I knew coercing the men into installing that extra power core and Omni sensor upgrades would pay off!" Stetmann shouted "Oh shit, was the comm. on? Oops…"

"An extra power core? Improved Omni? Is there anything else I should know about my armour?" Raynor shook his head as his Raiders fidgeted nervously "Never mind, my scanners are telling me enough anyways, there's nothing wrong with this armour so whatever… Let's go."

The Raiders headed through the northwest door of the lab into another hallway, rolling their eyes collectively as they breached another door. They marched northeast, cutting down some more Dominion groups that tried to stop them, and eventually, after a long slog of scanning effectively every single "freaking light fixture" (Raynor agreed with the Raider who said this), they finally found a console they could need. It was the activation console for an ARES-class unit, one of the earlier heavy assault unit concepts the Dominion had had. Raynor decided to fit it with "anti-armour missiles" though according to scans they were weaker than the Raiders' Nanodarts. Unfortunately, this type unit was notoriously unreliable, hence why it had been scrapped, Raynor's estimate for power failure of the machine was seventy-five seconds, so he sent it into the next, much larger chamber to fight some vehicle signatures there. More specifically, it fought two Vikings and a Siege Tank in tank mode, making it through without being destroyed. Raynor set off the orange explosive barrels before letting the A.R.E.S. drive through toward the next room. Rather unfortunately, its power failed before it got to the rather large gate.

"Damn it, my estimate was off…" Raynor cursed, then shrugged, the things were notoriously unreliable after all. His Omni board showed quite a number of hostiles in the next room, so he was very happy to find a number of orange barrels littered around the next room. Setting one off started a chain reaction that resulted in the room being cleared in very short order, much to Raynor's delight.

The crew stepped in an absolutely enormous room to the northwest, cloaking as they entered to avoid the attention of the Dominion troops around. Raynor ordered his men to hold fire as they noticed the console controlling the containment field for the enormous Brutalisk that was in the middle of the room. He sent his men back to the last room to save cloak energy, using his own improved power cores and thus much better energy levels and lower drain to boost over the heads of the Dominion troops. He deactivated the containment field before boosting back over the Dominion line before they even realized the Brutalisk had been released behind them.

The first and only transmission the Raiders caught from the room was "Oh shit—" That is unless you counted the roaring of a Brutalisk and the rhythmic stomping noises as some sort f transmission, a sound transmission, from the room.

After the gunfire had died down and the only noise left was the Brutalisk's stomping, Raynor checked his radar/Omni readout and noted that the lone large contact was on the far side of the room "Alright, boys, here's what we'll do, cloak, because Brutalisks cannot detect you unless at very close range, and use your Nanodart Launchers boost if you're in trouble, and keep up the Temporal Fizz fire no matter what to slow the sucker down. Also, I'm hoping the plasma damage from the Fizz Launchers can stun it… but if it can't just use boosters to stay away from it. Let's go, boys, check your grenades." The Raiders each palmed an Electron Grenade as Raynor looked around and nodded, then entered the room. "Make sure you don't blast too many holes in blast doors, they're usually there for a reason."

Electron Grenades, due to the nature of their payload, were notorious for degrading the integrity of even the strongest alloys with their detonations, ionizing the material and/or sending a shock through it, breaking down molecular bonding patterns or frying delicate electronics/flesh encased by the metal. Otherwise, if it was all metal, it would simply corrode the metal, making it brittle and breaking it apart, in addition to blasting away at it with the actual explosive power, especially when in oxygen. Oxygen radicals would strip apart the materials it came into contact with in a highly exothermic reaction, possibly even melting it… which was why the Brutalisk actually screeched in pain when the thirteen men volleyed their grenades. It was quite a few octaves higher than any noise Raynor had ever heard any Zerg produce and actually made the suits automatically dampen the sound.

"Did that Brutalisk just squeal?" He said incredulously as he and the Raiders opened up with the Fizz Launchers, slowing the beast down while their Nanodart Launchers whittled away at it.

"I… I think it did, sir." One of the Raiders responded shakily, firing away.

Unfortunately, the Brutalisk, in its frenzied wandering of the room, got too close to a Raider and detected the woman, who barely boosted out of the way of the gigantic swinging blades of the massive creature, which roared and fired its spines at her. Her shields deflected the spines, like a Hydralisk's but far more powerful and heavier, but her suit beeped at her to indicate low energy, she put on a burst of speed, boosting for the other side of the room, before one of the Brutalisk's claws blindsided her and sent her spinning into a tank, crashing into it and sliding down the glass before she spun about and opened up on the Brutalisk with all her weapons as it staggered closer. The beast was being fired upon by the twelve other soldiers in the room, some of whom had lost cloaking energy, but it didn't seem to care. It seemed to know that its end was near, and knew that this was the only kill it had a chance of making, if only it could reach the Raider, who was pushing herself away with her legs while keeping her arms and weapons, even the flamethrowers, pointed at the Brutalisk advancing on her, looming over her.

The Brutalisk had raised its two enormous scythes high over its head when its mouth opened in shock and another screech of pain, then it crumpled, one scythe smashing into and through the glass to one side of the female Raider. She sighed in relief, just before the creature's face appeared less than a meter from her own, as it collapsed on its arm, heaving in its death throes, the gaping, drooling maw and blood-red eyes still open and glaring at the Raider, who shifted away just before a whistling over her drew her attention upward, just in time to see the second gigantic scythe arm come down at her with all the strength the dying creature could muster.

The monomolecular blade, complete with bio-electric resonance fields, cut down into the plating, and the Brutalisk shifted, ignoring the immense pain of the Raiders behind it tearing into its body with their munitions, and pinned all its considerable weight on the now-pinned Raider. The armour gave way and the Raider under the dying creature gave a raspy "Eat this, you bastard!" before shoving a Sonance Grenade (more popularly called a plasma grenade or sticker grenade due to its nature, each Raider has 2 in their bandolier, though fabrication is much slower than Electron Grenades and they cannot be thrown around corners, the damage is much greater) into the creature's still gasping maw. The creature made a choking sound as the Raider grinned behind her helmet, just before the beast's battered, dented, pitted and scorched head finally exploded and the creature died. The grin and pained hum of satisfaction turned to a gurgle as the blade shifted inside the Raider when the creature finally slumped in death, though the blade remained upright, jammed in the massive, empty, slanted glass tank the Raider was pinned to.

The Raider let out a final gurgle before her suit's medical computers finally decided the damage was too much for medi-gel to repair and engaged the onboard stasis program. She went limp after the program put her body in suspended animation, keeping it safe, alive, and in a way frozen in time. "Is she…" one of the other Raiders asked, looking through his HUD display to find the relevant stat.

Raynor let out a sigh of relief "she'll be fine, the onboard stasis program's activated in time, she'll just need to get a new heart and lung to repair the damage that Brutalisk did. Two of you, take her back to the evac point, the armour's locked up so she'll be okay, it's also locked in the Brutalisk scythe, so be careful. Get her back to the evac point and back to the Hyperion ASAP, the rest of us can handle it from here. I know you won't like this, men, but I choose you and you to take her back." He highlighted two of the names on his HUD and moved them to the Medivac squad. "Get yourselves back to the Hyperion safely; we'll handle it from here."

The two men didn't protest, merely nodding as they painstakingly began to cut the glass of the tank with their extremely limited reclaiming capacities. They then picked up the downed Raider by her shoulder handles and heel handles (minor armour accessories that serve as stretcher handles once the armour locks up and extends them, when the stasis program engages) and moved off, attaching the downed Raider to their armour, with each man having one free arm for fighting should it become needed. (A/N: think extending your right arm while half-crouched and with your left arm held back as if to throw a low punch, it's like that)

Raynor's group had left them at the west end of the room with a series of salutes while they were clearing the glass, and picked up another Protoss relic at the south end before proceeding onward to the northeast. They tore the blast door there apart in a fit of fury before blazing through the Dominion troops there, spending some time to very sadistically destroy a shackled Ultralisk, permeating the room with the scent of fried Zerg flesh.

"I wonder… if I opened a store called Kentucky Fried Zerg, if we could afford the demand for the Ultra-burgers… or strips." Raynor commented, growling just like the other Raiders at the dead Ultralisk before shaking his head and heading southeast to the facility's power core, sticking some Electrons, set to remote detonation, on it before moving back away from the reactor and marching northwest, finding another room, completely empty of interesting materials, there, along with some stairs that according to the Raiders' scans led to the second entrance to the facility, a floor down from their first one. They moved down the stairs and moved into the next room, killing some Zerglings that came at them. "Damn it, boys, the power core is getting too far away for the signal, it seems the walls are better insulated than I thought… oh well, I guess I'll detonate it from here…"

The facility shook as things began collapsing around them, Raynor and the raiders running through the falling debris toward a stable area before they looked back and spotted an enormous walking purple Zerg-like creature trying to break through a mass of debris that blocked it "Whatever that is, it's not good, let's scoot!" Raynor yelled, hitting the console next to him to activate another A.R.E.S. to hopefully slow the weird beast down and buy the raiders some time to escape, they ran southeast and then southwest down the winding hallway detected by their scans, destroying a wall of debris and firing back with their Temporal Fizz Launchers to slow the creature down. The Raiders used their boosters to go over the heads of a number of Protoss and Zerg fighting there, grabbing a relic in-flight (only Raynor risked this, since he could fly longer) and darting forward.

They blasted away a wall of rubble that stood in their way, firing their Nanodart Launchers on the move, and took the western path, flying over the heads of another group of Zealots and picking up another Relic. They kept charging and boosting through the halls as the odd creature was delayed by the Zealots. They finally popped into a large room with large numbers of Zerg; on Raynor's cue they volleyed Grenades to clear a path, in addition to firing their weapons while charging southwest toward the path to exit the facility, the creature behind them was quickly catching up, though the Zerg warriors accosted it, delaying it as it tore them to pieces.

Raynor and the nine Raiders completely ignored the battle behind them, focusing only on firing off a final volley of Temporal Fizzes to slow down the beast before engaging their quantum propulsion packs for one last flight out of the area, still firing as they flew backwards, relying on suit computers for navigation. They piled into the Restorer, which immediately took off, leaving the creature to roar in fury at them once it had disposed of the Zerg.

The Restorer soared into the sky, heading for the Hyperion, which had moved toward the asteroid at the first sign of trouble, while raining down Quad Light Laser bolts on the hapless hybrid. The creature screeched at them before three Loa Tactical Missiles from the Hyperion flew past the Restorer and tore the beast apart. Raynor sighed in relief "Well, boys, that was a good job you all did back there, we all got out alive." He said, looking at the Raiders "Now that facility back there… is another thing Mengsk will be paying for, remember it well, boys."

* * *

_Bridge, Hyperion, near Asteroid orbiting Castanar, September 26, 3868_

"Fire it." Raynor said quietly, though the whole of the Hyperion could have heard a pin drop. The Sonance Artillery muzzle, mounted where the old Yamato Gun's muzzle had been, glowed brightly before a blue-white streak of plasma streaked away from the Battlecruiser, looking almost like a comet in its flight, impacting where the facility had once stood, ninety kilotons of TNT equivalent in energy utterly vaporizing whatever could have been left of the facility, and with the fact that it was a plasma resonance round, blew away a significant portion of the mountain, if it could be called that. The crew cheered and went back to their business, yet Raynor remained standing where he was, watching the video feed of the asteroid's newest crater "What the hell is Mengsk playing at?"

"Creating his own alien super-soldiers by the looks of it. He's found a way to hybridize Zerg and Protoss somehow." Horner replied, standing next to Jim.

"Don't look like he's house-broken 'em yet. Least the lab's been trashed." Raynor sort-of grinned, though it was more of a grimace.

Horner bit his lip "Yeah, but it was only one lab. Who's to say how many more he's set up?"

"Well, we'd better get to work seeking out more stuff to take him down with before he can pull any more stupid-ass shit out of his ass, eh, Matt? I should go take to the others about it… stop bothering you and all that."

* * *

_Laboratory, Hyperion, September 26, 3868_

Tychus looked up from his project, which looked to be a spider mine, for just long enough to say "I don't even want to talk about what you found down there. Can't you see I'm working?"

Raynor blinked at the abrupt cut-off, then shrugged and went over to Hanson "So, Doc, what's your thoughts on the matter? I can't believe those Dominion scientists were hybridizing Zerg and Protoss! That's just…madness! It's almost worse than the Tarsonis thing!"

Rory Swann chose that time to come in "What in hell's name did you stir up in that lab, cowboy?"

"Mengsk's taken to playing god literally now. He made that thing and whole heap more like it! An' who knows how many other labs he's got out there?"

"Great, like we haven't got enough to handle with the Zerg. Now we got Mengsk breeding his own damn monsters too." The stout engineer said morosely.

"Uh, last I checked, since Mengsk's kid isn't that young, he's been breeding his own monsters for a long time, Swann." Tychus's voice drifted over, Raynor facepalmed.

"I'm heading to the Cantina, you want to go?" the four in the lab shook their heads, Raynor shrugged "Well, see you later."

* * *

_Cantina, Hyperion, September 26, 3868_

"More arrests follow Raynor broadcast" was the first ticker item Raynor noted, making him grin before looking back tot eh image of Kate Lockwell, who began "This is Kate Lockwell for UNN. Donny Vermillion remains on sick leave, get better Donny!" In the meantime, the ticker read "Vermillion 'recovering well' say hospital staff", very nicely timed indeed. "Coming up later, we begin a ten part expose on corruption in the Dominion government. How high does it go?"

The ticker brought more happy news "Colonists on Bountiful declare independence, other fringe worlds may follow"

"Tonight however, I'd like to return to the topic of Tarsonis, and the day it fell. Families ripped apart—literally—when the savage Zerg arrived. Mountains of dead bodies, deserted cities … Let's play that clip again." She held up a device and pressed a button.

Arcturus Mengsk spoke again "I will rule this sector or see it burnt to ashes around me…" causing Raynor to grin before noting the result of their latest mission "Beryllium market rallies six points after accident", which made him roll his eyes.

"Stop! Wait! You can't just come in here!" A frantic Stage Manager shouted just before an armoured hand grabbed the camera and wrenched it over to a Marine's armour visor "By order of Dominion Security, this newscast is terminated." The feed winked out.

Raynor snorted "We finally got ya, Arcturus. It's nice to see the media taking shots at you for a change."

* * *

_Armoury, Hyperion, September 27, 3868_

"So, Rory, it seemed you had something you wanted to say after the mission on Valhalla and the more recent missions, spit it out, man." Raynor tapped his fingers on the railing.

"Well, cowboy, I was hoping you'd capture that Loki, as they called it…" Swann said, scratching the back of his head "but hey, at least our boys managed to salvage the blueprints. They're not nearly up to the standard of the Hyperion, well the new Hyperion, and by that I mean they're freaking miles off, but I reckon if we ever manage to capture a Battlecruiser and needed to use it for combat… we could upgrade it to Loki standard before we send it off to the Coalition for upgrading to Hyperion standards."

"Good thing we managed to get some good research out of that Loki, I wanted to capture it too, but we didn't detect it in time, they were already scrambling it before we could react… we couldn't allow then to get far enough to get off a distress call… by the time we'd disabled them, there wasn't enough of the ship to hold together in the crash. And nobody wants to sell us old Battlecruisers because they're scared of the Dominion…" Raynor shrugged. "So how are the blueprints we found?"

"Well, the ship was something else compared to typical BCs… they had improved capacitors, vanadium plating, some sort of regenerative armour, a cellular reactor… yeah, a whole lot of great stuff." Swann shrugged "they're not up to our standards, but they're a whole lot above what the Dominion had before, good thing we're the only ones with the schematics now. I and my engineers personally got rid of all record of these improvements."

"Good job, Swann, now, can we talk about Stetmann's samples? Why were they designated 'Suspicious Sample' on our boys' HUDs? The boys told me it sounded ominous, like those zombie films."

"They were Devourer Tissue Samples, according to the guys down in the Lab; I'd say it was the basis for the regenerative armour found on the Loki… and maybe even the cellular reactor. It probably had to do with research into the Zerg. Our boys' HUDs simply detect anomalous bio-signs or electrical activity and designate them as stuff. Although I suspect it was the Adjutant who made the suits call nearly all recoverable Zerg specimens 'Suspicious Samples'…"

There was a long silence, broken only by the sounds of two of the spider mines play-fighting like cats in the background of the armoury hold "We really shouldn't have let the Adjutant near those zombie apocalypse films, should we?"

"Damn straight we shouldn't have…" Swann said, rolling his eyes. "Anything else you need to ask me, cowboy?"

"Yes, what's that touching my leg? Is it some sort of new gadget?" Tychus's chuckle could just be heard before a four-legged round, fat object de-cloaked right next to Raynor's leg, resulting in the seasoned soldier reflexively diving over the railing to escape the Spider Mine. Tychus uncloaked right behind Swann, holding the remote control panel and laughing at the scream Raynor had just made.

"Didn't I tell you to not scare him too badly?" Swann asked, stroking his stubble in a thoughtful expression.

"Come on, he knows Spider Mines behave like cats unless they're armed… oh wait, maybe I forgot… did you remember to tell him that minor detail?" Tychus was scratching the Spider Mine's casing "And did you remember to tell him about the upgrades we put on these things?"

"Uh, not yet, you let that guy loose way too soon." Swann said.

"You guys really freaked me out with that, you know." Raynor had gotten back onto the platform and was watching Tychus scratch the Spider Mine's belly, the Mine lying on its back with all its legs stuck up in the air to facilitate this before Tychus stopped and the Mine rolled back over, sitting down on the ground, resting.

"Aw, come on, Jimmy, we just installed a cloaking device and changed the explosives to UEF-based formula for better power, nothing really special… the thing still has to uncloak for about a second before it can detonate." Tychus spread his hands. "Well, okay, it's a bit bigger than it used to be, but still, goes fine with the new Vultures."

"By the way, Swann, I thought about this over the last few days and was going to ask you, why was it Tosh had a Thor, albeit with Dominion Tech, at his base? And why did the Dominion have Diamondbacks on Valhalla?"

"Well, the Thor wasn't my idea, though the improvements were. The Odin was actually a scaled-up version of the Thor to start off, but then we souped them up. The Dominion has actually fielded Thors on occasion over the past years. I took the idea and fitted it to what we had and what we knew." Swann shrugged.

Raynor was turning to speak with Tychus when the armoury door opened and Stetmann and Hanson walked in "Almost seems people have been stalking me…" he grumbled before raising his voice "hey guys! Over here!"

"Yes sir?" Stetmann asked, walking over. Hanson merely watched the conversation.

"I've been meaning to ask you, since Perdition Turrets were your idea based on Lurker stealth attacks, how come the Dominion had something like them?"

"Well… I'm one science guy, counting Swann, Tychus and the Doc, that's four science guys working on research regularly, though the others also chip in sometimes. The Dominion has a lot more science guys than we Raiders do… though their Perdition Turret's a lot crappier, in case you haven't noticed."

"Good answer, Stetmann. You know, guys, as long as we can maintain a major tech advantage, we'll do fine. My biggest concern though is how the Dominion still has so much money to lavish on trying to rebuild Korhal if their army and fleet are depleted enough to still be using Goliaths, Wraiths and Vultures, they're supposed to be obsolete god damn it!" Obviously, the Raider varieties of all aforementioned units, where applicable, were NOT obsolete even by Coalition standards.

"Maybe Mengsk's just being an idiot about spending, or there's some major corruption in the army command chain." Ariel Hanson spoke up.

"Yeah… I wish. Good thing we destroyed all the Diamondbacks the Dominion found on Tarsonis, and they didn't even get the data our before we copied and erased all of it, we won't be seeing any more of those unless they're ours." Raynor grinned before he frowned "though I wonder why the Dominion stopped fielding Valkyries, ah well, at least we still field them." Indeed, the Raiders had amassed a small fleet over the years. Every ship other than the Hyperion could be controlled by strategic interface if necessary, though this had never happened. The Raiders' usual strategy was for the Hyperion's scouts to jump first, then the BC and its fleet would follow. Every ship had at least some anti-fighter and anti-ship armament, even if they didn't have bombardment hardware.

* * *

COALITION MILITARY CODEX: VULTURE (RAYNOR'S RAIDERS)

The Vulture Speeder Bike has been in use for decades in the Koprulu Sector, though they have undergone changes in that time, they have always been somewhat less than reliable. They have also generally offered protection on the scale of "a wet paper hat" and packed minimal safety features, sacrificing all for speed.

The version used by Raynor's Raiders in the Second Great War, however, has been substantially modified with Coalition of Species technologies. Gone are the open cockpits, the dangerous fuel cells, and the lack of armour. Now, the Vulture has become a lethal fast-attack vehicle, featuring a streamlined body (otherwise, it would not be called a Vulture), very good protection (by Coalition standards for T1 units… not so much), and decent firepower. It retains the Spider Mine deployment device, though Spider Mines are now fabricated on-board at a slow but constant pace, until the 10-mine magazine is full. They are hideously weak by Coalition standards (and have an attack range less than a soldier's Omni range, hence are effectively useless), but very effective against non-Coalition forces due to their new cloaking device.

The Vulture itself is now equipped with a Light Pulse Laser, identical to that featured on the Hunter Light Assault Bot (please note that 1 burst of 3 pulses deals slightly greater harm than 5 70 mm Gauss Cannon aka Tomcat Light Machine Gun shells) and Raider Wraith, for its main weapon. Despite its very low health, less than that of a Light Assault Bot, and high energy cost compared to most T1 units, the Coalition has decided that the incredible speed of the Vulture makes it a viable T1 raider. After all, 140 meters per second makes it the fastest land vehicle in the Coalition's arsenal. Unfortunately, there just wasn't enough space, even in the scaled-up Vulture, to fit a sensor array; hence it could not supplant the Land Scout units. It could still function as the mine-layer it always was and as a speedy raider though.

Aesthetically, Aeon plating was used for its typical smoothness and aerodynamics, while the matte black of Cybran plating can be seen in the mine laying device, which is like a small bomb bay with a magazine, dropping Spider Mines to scuttle away and cloak themselves elsewhere. The vehicle now hovers a good meter above the ground, up to 4 if doing extreme speed. Often, it behaves more like a low-flying aircraft than a ground vehicle, especially when pulling turns, since the hover bike actually banks.

Like most vehicles of the Raiders and the Coalition, the Vulture is normally unmanned but may be crewed. In the case of the scaled-up vulture, the anti-gravity unit and power core is powerful enough to let Raiders (in all their heavy, bulky armour and weapons) hang onto every available inch of the craft and still move. This is in stark contrast to the old Vulture, which would stop working if more than three men, without armour, boarded. All in all, the new Vulture, like all the Raiders' new hardware, is to the old what Raiders are to Dominion Marines.

END OF CODEX ENTRY

FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE GO TO "RAYNOR'S RAIDERS"

* * *

A/N: See? Raiders aren't so tough; they bleed, just like anyone else, though unless you get instant kill or brain death their armour's stasis program can handle a lot. The main reason they overwhelmed that other Brutalisk on Redstone so easily was because there were a lot more of them, and even then they were keeping their distance.

Sorry for killing the Loki back then, but they had no choice. And sorry for getting rid of the personnel weapons in this mission, but the Raiders got everything already, and besides, this is a bio-lab, not a weapons lab. How the Raiders have everything: Temporal Fizzes are plasma rounds and slow targets down, the larger the mass the shorter the slowdown duration but still. Grenades, the Electron or Sonance Grenades, they also have some other varieties but we will not be concerned with those for now.

Note that eventually I will gather the codices into an independent fic on my profile, but don't expect it anytime before the Covenant War at least and maybe even the Reaper War. Also, WHAT WOULD I PUT IT UNDER?

Reviews welcome.


	11. Shadows of the Colossi

A/N: I agree Siege Tanks are classical to Starcraft; hence I kept it instead of using my Siege Walker concept. Originally, I was going to do something like a Mantis with the Medusa's gun down the centerline and the fringe flattened back, the pulse lasers still there at the front, and when it deploys, the fringe moves up with the gun rising and gun base moving forward on the chassis to make a triangle for stability while the legs stab into the ground and the things sits down. The top body is what turns, including the pulse lasers, but the pulse laser line of fire is partly blocked by the legs, so they generally do not fire, the artillery gun does the work. I thought that sounded good, but since Siege TANKS were classic, let's see what Swann cooks up for that niche.

The hybrid isn't as tough as some would think; after all, Loa Tactical Missiles have different sizes and powers. The TML-4 building one is 6000 and 40 kilotons directed yield, the Plan B one is 3000 and 16 kilotons focused yield (more targeted than directed yield), the Loa Tactical Missile Racks used on Torrent T3 Missile Ships or starships are 600 per shot, 2.5 kilotons directed yield, and the ones on Viper Mobile Missile Launchers are 120, around 160 tons TNT directed yield. Hence it only took 1800 damage worth to destroy the Hybrid Reaver, it was only around 1400 health, I'd say. That would mean it would be a Tier 2.0 unit, 1.7 considering upgrade options for Coalition units.

For the record, reviewers, please put no more than 5 questions per review. That is the most I feel I can answer per reviewer without the chapter quality suffering. I don't mind demands/questions, since they often point out plot potholes I may have missed.

* * *

Chapter 11: Shadows of the Colossi

_Bridge, Hyperion, September 30, 3868_

"Moebius wants us to go after another artefact on some dead world called Xil." Tychus shifted to one side "Apparently they sent in a specialist team, but they lost contact with 'em two days ago. Their bad luck, I guess. Figure we'll get hazard pay for this one… not that we need it, but still, there's got to be a point to these artefacts, eh?"

"Sure, Tychus, we'll take the job, Adjutant, what's the deal on this 'Xil'?" Raynor looked toward the cybernetic woman, who rolled here eyes before reciting her stuff.

"Xil was scoured of all life long ago. Excavated ruins suggest that the planet's indigenous alien culture was wiped out virtually overnight." She paused "couldn't you have just looked it up on the computer? After all, I sort of am the computer…"

"Meh, it just feels friendlier hearing it from you compared to reading it off of you…" Raynor looked down at his console for a moment before his eyes flicked over the Adjutant's figure "okay that sounded creepy." Raynor said slowly.

"You walked into that one, buddy." Tychus shook his head sadly before resuming his business lecture "So here's the deal. This place is a morgue. Whatever used to live in these ruins up an' died millions of years ago. Before they went missing, the Moebius team reported artefact radiation emanating from that big ole hunk of rock over yonder. They brought a big damn laser drill to burn their way in…" Tychus frowned in thought "A Mining Laser?" Tychus had swung the Soothsayer suite's focus onto a mining laser he'd detected on the edge of a plateau in the center of the Operation Area "That thing's a monster. If the Moebius team had access to that kinda hardware…"

"I hate to think about what could have wiped 'em out." Raynor concluded.

Tychus shrugged "Reckon we'll find out soon enough, partner."

* * *

_Xil, September 30, 3868_

While the Hyperion waited in low orbit, one of the two Restorers dropped off seven Raiders at a point west of the plateau the Moebius base had been on. It was wiser to approach from a distance rather than just dump units onto the plateau, especially if you had no idea what you were up against. "Watch your corners, boys. We don't know who cleaned this place out." Raynor cautioned his troops before ordering them south.

Four Protoss Stalkers met the group, with a transmission of "More Terran thieves? The mysteries of this place are forbidden! You will pay for your transgression with your lives!" from a Protoss, but the Raiders' shields were too strong, and their Infantry Nanodarts too powerful, especially with Temporal Fizz Launchers slowing down the Stalkers and numerical superiority on their side.

Raynor blinked as his boys took down the Stalkers "Ok, 'least we know what happened to the other expedition." His troops headed south, shields slowly regenerating. Suddenly, with a Soothsayer feed, Raynor gave another command "Hold up there! Those Protoss cannons seem to be the new models, they will tear us a new one if we try to advance into them." Indeed, there were four cannons, one or two the Raiders could have taken, but four was a bit much… "Swann? You promised me siege tanks! Where are they?"

"Settle down, hotshot. They're coming. These babies will knock these cannons down from a nice, safe distance." Swann dropped off two of the new Siege Tanks he, Tychus, Hanson and to a lesser extent Stetmann had come up with. "These new siege tanks work just like the old ones. When you put 'em in siege mode they get increased range and firepower. They can't move much in siege mode, so if you need to reposition 'em, just switch 'em back into tank mode. Ya got it?"

Raynor rolled his eyes, "duh, Swann, anyways… uh, Swann?" He'd looked back at the strategic interface and then goggled at it. "THAT is our new Siege Tank?"

The unit was heavily armed for a Tier 1 unit type, equipped with one EMP "Grenade Launcher" that was the same as the gun used by the "Medusa" T1 Light Mobile Artillery, complete with a powerful EMP effect, for artillery. Since the Seraphim War, the guns of the T1 Light Mobile Artilleries had all become comparable, all competitive, unlike before, when the Aeon "Fervour" had by far the advantage in firing and damage rates. The weapon was effectively the centerline on the turret, but with twin Light Pulse Lasers that were the same as those of a Mantis Light Armour parallel to the heavy gun on either side as assault cannons. The only difference from the Dominion Siege Tanks or old Siege Tanks in mechanism was that when the main gun was oriented, the two smaller guns would cease firing since they'd be pointing toward the ground as the main gun threw artillery shells into the sky. In other words, the guns pointed in opposite directions, unlike the Dominion Crucio Siege Tank, which simply moved the barrel assembly around to expose the shock cannon. All in all, the new Raider Siege Tank was more like the old Arclite than the new Crucio. It also took about 2 seconds to deploy, unlike the typical Siege Tank which took 4. Oh, and it was a whole lot faster than the typical Siege Tanks, but slower than Coalition Tier 1 units. However, there was a downside; it took more resources to build one than say, a Tier 1 Light Armour or Light Mobile Artillery. They simply weren't as cost-effective.

"Well, now that you're done pounding the Cannons to scrap… un-deploy them and move 'em!" Swann prompted as Raynor rotated the strategic view to examine the very accurate representation of the tank. He suddenly had a very good idea what had been hidden under that oddly-shaped tarp in the armoury for the past two days.

As the group of Raiders and two tanks arrived at the base on the plateau, the Adjutant came through with a communiqué "Moebius base local-net accessed, decrypting security override, transferring control of the Laser to you, Commander."

Tychus Findlay began tapping in the codes for the mining laser "Fire it up! One hundred and seventy four gigawatts, according to the manual, it's 'the power of the sun at your fingertips.' Now get it aimed at that door and let's get cutting!"

"Laser output is good. Drilling will take some time but there's no other way into the temple." Matt Horner reported. "And by 'some time' I mean upward of 1.5 hours, if our readings are accurate… Sir, the Tal'darim bases are mobilizing their forces against us."

"So we set a perimeter and protect the drill until we're through. I'm just glad we've got siege tanks." Raynor muttered, dropping down two pre-built factories, a Barracks and a Command Center, along with a host of RCVs to unpack the buildings and set up bunkers. "We need bunkers and siege tanks defending that laser drill! We've got no chance of claiming the artefact without it!" Raynor looked down at the Hyperion's deck for a moment, frowning "Seth… where are you guys?"

"Sir, I've managed to access what's left of the Moebius expedition's sensor net. I'll route it through your map so you can see what the Tal'darim are up to." Matt reported, many kilometres of the terrain lighting up with visual at once,

"You would desecrate that which belongs to the gods? This will NOT be borne by the faithful!" The Tal'darim Protoss on the other end declared, moving some units toward the paths out of his bases.

"Sir, those are Protoss archons. If they get too close our men won't stand a chance!" Matt exclaimed, examining the signatures of the units more closely with the Soothsayer. "I'm giving you manual control of the laser drill, see if you can use it against the Protoss!"

"Alright, you heard the man! Swing that laser around! We can use it to drive back the Protoss!" Raynor stated, giving the drill new orders and watching it slowly eat away at the shields of the Archons until he snorted in futility, realizing that it dealt about 25 DPS and Archons were Tier 2.3 unit equivalents, so had probably around 1800 HP, it would take too long, so he decided to send down the Restorer and Continental to deal with the Protoss troops. He grinned to himself, this would be a cakewalk as long as they kept the drill safe… the Continental's hardware ran a serious risk of blasting through the door to whatever was behind it and damaging the artefact if they weren't extremely careful, so they had to rely on the awfully slow drill to cut through the door. At 200,000 HP rating, the reinforced blast door to this doomsday bunker they called a temple was "damned tough" even by Coalition standards.

"So, Tychus, laser output is only 174 GW?"

"Yes… sadly." Tychus said sarcastically, shaking his head. "What did you want from it?"

"Well, the Heavy Microwave Laser on a Monkeylord would deal out five kilotons per second, or 20.92 terawatts, more than a hundred twenty times that power rating."

"Well, I suspect it would be a lot larger than that Mining Laser, but… wait WHAT?" Tychus gaped "You've been holding out on me, Jimmy."

"Well, we've been only certified and provided schematics for Tier 1 and some Tier 2 technologies, except for our Continental, so most of our units are T1 and still kick ass. A Monkeylord is an Experimental-class unit, or sometimes called Tier 4. It's got the laser as well as twin Heavy Electron Bolters, and it's a six-legged walker, though they call it a Spiderbot just because it sounds more intimidating that way."

"Oh, right, I've seen some of the descriptions for the experimentals… but I never knew they were THAT powerful."

* * *

_Xil, September 30, 3868_

"The laser drill has breached the door's outer layer." The Adjutant said. "Alert. Enemy air units on approach vector."

"Those are transports, the Bricks and Missile Turrets will take care of them." Raynor said dismissively, using the Serenity to shell the northern Protoss base, knocking the structures down one by one.

"Sir, I'm picking up the energy signatures of several Protoss relics in the area. I'm marking them on your map." Matt reported, marking one to the west and two to the southeast. The western one was just north of the Raiders' initial LZ, while the southeast ones were close together.

"Well if there's time we can blast 'em free with the laser drill, I bet Stetmann would love to study them." Obviously, they had enough time, since the Protoss that attacked the base in waves were no match for the overwhelming firepower of Coalition-issue weapons, though the Athanah was quite critical in keeping all the Mech Marines alive, since the Colossi were a lot more powerful than anyone had expected.

"Those Colossi are on par with Siege Assault Bots, sir, you better be careful." The Adjutant reported, having run some simulations to determine which unit the colossi matched closest to in the Coalition arsenal.

"Not bad… but nowhere up to par with our Bricks." Raynor stated, watching a Brick kill another Colossus, punching through the shields and flaying away the armour of the other large four-legged walker, which fired back with its beam weaponry. At the same time, the Brick shot down another Warp Prism with its Electron Flak, cutting through the drone's shields and hull within seconds. Raynor had stationed one Brick plus the Combat Engineer at the north entrance to the base and one Brick plus the eight Mech Marines and Athanah at the southeast entrance. The Deceiver was effectively useless so was kept on the Continental, while the Serenity sat under the Athanah's shield. The Combat Engineer helped maintain the Brick in the North while the Continental sat there, landed on the ground, providing support with its Plasma Cannons and Flayer Anti-Air Missiles. The new Siege tanks supplemented the heavy defences, mostly sitting under shields because the Colossi thermal lances were simply too powerful for any non-Brick, non-Combat Engineer and non-shielded unit to survive long enough, and they were tough enough to survive Siege Tank fire until they could close into range, unless the Raiders mustered massed Siege Tanks.

With the speed at which parts were being fabricated on the Hyperion and the packages dropped to the Factory below for assembly, and the fact that pilots were not required (though there was still space for crew if desired), numbers became a moot point rather quickly. Within the first half-hour Raynor had amassed over two hundred of the new and improved Siege Tanks. He had to deploy a second Factory so that the pile of packaged Siege Tank parts did not grow large enough to bury some of the Supply Depots, which were glorified Air/Land Staging Facilities, supplying energy or fuel for units where it actually mattered i.e. Raiders. He then decided to head off to attack the Protoss to stop their attacks, but first… those shrines…

A good thirty of the new Siege Tanks charged southeast, blasting the Photon Cannons they came across to pieces without even bothering to deploy their artillery, simply overcoming them with raw firepower intensity of many, many Light Pulse Lasers. The Photon Cannons didn't get off more than a couple shots each before being vaporized; Pylons that had powered the Cannons followed in short order. The Tanks then rolled southeast toward the shrines, providing line-of-sight and targeting data for the Mining Laser, which swung around and cut into the shrines.

Raynor noticed a small group of diamond land unit signatures heading toward his Tanks on radar, and from the speed the moved at… He immediately deployed all his siege tanks and sent down his Restorers. Sure enough, there were two Archons and a Colossus closing in on his expeditionary force, supported by numerous Immortals and Stalkers. He watched in grim satisfaction as the Archons, Immortals and Stalkers engaged his two Restorers, which lashed back at them with their guns, dealing tons upon tons of TNT equivalent in Quad Light Laser fire down upon the Protoss. The Siege Tanks opened up next, the Immortals' shields failing under the power of the artillery cannons, or more specifically their EMP effect, and the Stalkers being shredded under the high-intensity fire. Three seconds later, another volley of fire rained down upon the Protoss and blasted everything except the Colossus and Archons into the ground. The Archons had been lashing at the Restorers with their Psionic powers, but failing to punch through the shields of the craft. In a last-ditch action, the Protoss engaged the Siege tanks from maximum range and did their best to get closer.

Siege tank structural fields held solid against the initial strikes of the Archons, but began falling one by one against the sweeping thermal lances of the Colossus. The tanks brewed up under the continuous beams even as they pounded away at the armour of the much larger machine, the Archons having been destroyed by incessant Restorer and Tank fire. The Colossus swayed and fell as it took a series of blasts to a long, spindly leg that blew the limb off, a couple more shots, from the last of the Siege Tanks, caused it to overbalance. One of its thermal lances smashed against the ground, rendering the weapon incapable of firing, while the other still hacked away at one Siege Tank after another. Raynor ordered the Restorers and newly-arrived flying Raiders and RCVs to focus fire and terminate the walker with extreme prejudice, since all thirty of his Siege tanks were now smoking wrecks. Some of the RCVs set about unpacking a second packaged Command Center dropped from the Hyperion while the others began reclaiming the wrecks of the Tanks. One of the Restorers flew back to base to pick up the Combat Engineer while the other patrolled the northwest path, the only path the Protoss could come through to reach this second resource area.

"Adjutant, you have an analysis on those Colossi guns?" Raynor asked the woman.

"They appear to be a low-powered version of the Microwave Laser technology employed on the Monkeylord Spiderbot, except using Infrared. Estimated Damage Potential is 180 DPS per gun, continuous beam. They're designated 'thermal lances' by the Protoss and various Terran powers."

"180 DPS… that's enough to fry one of our Siege Tanks in just over a second, no wonder the Moebius team got their asses kicked." Raynor said to himself, computing the numbers in his head "that would mean about 0.2 kilotons per second, or just under a terawatt… not bad."

The ground team secured the artefacts just as a fresh batch of Siege Tanks pulled up and deployed, Raynor deciding to risk it and bring out an Asylum Mobile Shield Generator, assembled at the Factory out of nanolathed parts produced on the Hyperion's nanolathe, to increase the life expectancy of the Tanks. It was Coalition tech, but he deemed it necessary to have a 5000-point shield for his units right now, especially in the face of these Colossi. Ah well, if he was going to deploy one… pretty soon, all his base entrances had at least two Mobile Shield Generators along with the defensive units (he parked the Athanah next to the Mining Laser just in case).

The adjutant prompted "The laser drill is now cutting through the door's thermal barrier."

"Sir! More air units inbound!" Matt alerted him to the sudden increase in triangles on his map, moving toward his base and prompting him to send his Wraiths out to counter them. The drone fighters could do a lot of damage, and he'd amassed quite a number in his base, assembled out of parts at the Starport, just in case.

"We gotta take them out or they'll keep dropping troops right on top of us!" Tychus noted some of the triangles becoming stationary just outside of visual range.

"No fear, the Wraiths are here!" Raynor said, directing the fighters to engage the Void Rays that tried to burn through the Athanah's shield. The nimble fighter/attackers swarmed the siege ships and took one down with a massed volley of Nanodarts before they could flee. The second Void Ray went down before the fighters of the Tal'darim arrived on the scene. The ship's downed hull was still blossoming in secondary explosions when the Phoenixes arrived and engaged the Raider Wraiths in a dogfight.

Phoenix fighters had been introduced near the end of the Brood Wars, so not enough of the nimble, powerful fighters could be produced in such a short time to make much of a difference in the outcome. Looking at the forward-swept wings, Raynor was reminded of typical Cybran fighters, or perhaps Seraphim aircraft with symmetry. He stopped admiring the sleek fighters in time to throw some more Wraiths that had just been assembled into the fray, then watched as the two air fleets duelled it out, sending in the Restorers and Continental to help even up the odds, despite the lower speed of the gunships and transport. The Phoenixes had an extreme numerical superiority, an ominous sign as ion cannon fire tracked his Wraiths and smashed into their structural fields. He couldn't retreat, since the Phoenixes were faster and would butcher his fighters from behind as they fled back to base. So he used an attack-move command to ensure his Wraiths would target the Phoenixes as quickly as possible.

The Phoenixes were putting out huge amounts of damage through their cannons, and Raynor's fliers immediately targeted them and snapped off Nanodart shots. The Wraiths were doling out as much pain as they took, using slightly superior manoeuvrability to counter the greater speed of the Phoenixes in the dogfight, and using their Nanodarts to maximum effect. The one-ton TNT equivalent missiles went after the Phoenixes in pairs, exploding against their shields in brilliant displays of light and rippling shields. Each Raider Wraith could spit out two pairs of missiles per second, and they used this to extreme effect against the Phoenixes.

Raynor had been forced to shut down the cloaking systems to have enough power for the shield generators back at the base, because the Hyperion was too far (nearly on the other side of the planet) for quantum energy transmission to be 100% accurate and thus efficient between the orbiting ship and the units below. Unfortunately, the move to geosynchronous orbit would take a while. So, the first aircraft to go down was, unsurprisingly, a Wraith, due to three Phoenix pilots teaming up against the drone fighter. The next few, on the other hand, were about an even mix of both types of fighters as more and more Phoenixes lost shields and then hulls to the hammer blows of Nanodarts.

The proportion of Phoenixes being lost increased steadily relative to the number of Wraiths, until they deployed their ability of overcharging their ion cannons, the brilliant discharges downing most of the remaining Wraiths, though the Phoenixes suffered immediately thereafter when they began drifting, un-powered but for the anti-gravity systems keeping them aloft. The Wraiths tore into them with a vengeance, quickly racking up kills, since only two pairs of Nanodarts was needed to kill a Phoenix now, with their shields and armour fields down. This translated into one kill per second per Wraith. By the time the Phoenixes rebooted and began moving again the five remaining Wraiths had racked up a mighty twenty kills, evening out the numbers, though the remaining four Phoenixes were undamaged and the Wraiths were scorched and battered, literally wobbling as they flew. The Structural Fields had been deflecting most of the damage and dispersing what was left over the armour's entire surface, but it wasn't quite enough to keep the Wraiths in good repair. In the end, the last Phoenix banked drunkenly toward home base as the last Wraith exploded in a fireball against the ground, all sensitive technologies having self-destructed upon the unit's destruction.

Sadly for the Phoenix pilot, it was at that time that Raynor concluded his little experiment and allowed a Restorer to come within range of the slow, damaged Phoenix. A single Zealot missile, of the scaled-down variety used on Restorers, blew it apart in mid-air before the pilot could even attempt to evade. Raynor nodded with satisfaction at the outcome of the battle, before ordering the Restorers to clear away all the wreckage from the destroyed Wraiths with Quad Light Laser fire, just in case some sensitive technologies survived…

* * *

"Thermal barrier breached. The laser drill is now cutting through the core." The Adjutant notified Raynor as he finished up the cleaning of the aerial battlefield and moved a hundred Siege Tanks west toward the third Shrine to gab another relic.

"They seek to befoul the legacy of the gods! Destroy them!" The Tal'darim executor's message to his remaining troops was at best laughable as his base to the north end of the Operation Area had already been utterly levelled by the Serenity. Sure, he sent in a couple more groups of units from the north, but they would be absurdly easy to hold off…

* * *

"Breach of the doorway core is imminent. Structure access is imminent." The Adjutant said calmly, leaning back and interlacing her fingers behind her head, looking up at the ceiling in an expression of utter boredom. "The doorway has been breached, Mining Laser shutting down now… boy was that a long time, one of the Thermal Lances from a colossus could have done it faster… about a sixth the time."

The Tal'darim executor's eyes blazed angrily as he sent a final transmission "You have prevailed for now. Word of this sacrilege will echo across the stars, James Raynor. The day of reckoning draws near!"

Raynor gave the Protoss the finger before turning to Tychus as the Protoss retreated and his troops advanced into the doomsday bunker disguised as a temple "These artefacts of yours seem real popular, Tychus."

"What do we care? As long as the pay's good and these missions lead us closer to whatever the universe has planned for us." Tychus shrugged.

"Really? I'd say getting vaporized by the Tal'darim definitely counts as 'diminishing returns.' Also, when did you get so philosophical, Tychus?" Tychus shrugged.

Matt looked at the strategic screen and watched all Protoss icons retreat from the operation area "The Tal'darim just can't stand up to our firepower, they're in full retreat! Well done, sir!"

* * *

_Cargo Bay Sector, Hyperion, September 30, 3868_

James Raynor stepped in the enormous cargo elevator that connected the armoury and cargo bay sectors of the Hyperion, where all projects other than the ones currently in progress were stored, or, if the previous mission lost a lot of vehicles, a lot of mass was stored. He whistled to himself as he popped open his water bottle, taking a swig as the doors closed in front of him and the cargo elevator began to rise.

The lights dimmed suddenly, Raynor looked up, his hand subconsciously drifting to his sidearm, a trusty Phasic SMG, clipped to his armour's belt, before a voice sounded "James Raynor…"

Raynor's armoured hand fell to his side as he rolled his eyes, then turned around, still clutching his water bottle in his left hand "Zeratul, what is it?"

Zeratul de-cloaked, stumbling toward Raynor, clutching his right arm, which bore a new scar Raynor did not remember being there. "I bring tidings of doom…"

Raynor had a sudden feeling "Zeratul…" He narrowed his eyes, remembering the last time the Prelate had pulled a dramatic move on him and the amount of laughter, or rather suffering (from laughing way too hard) his entire crew had undergone at the Dark Prelate's theatrics.

"I have pierced the veil of the future and beheld only…" The Dark Prelate fell to his knees dramatically, looking up at Raynor with blazing green eyes… "OBLIVION!" He said telepathically, for that was how Protoss communicated. "Yet one spark of hope remains. You will hold her life in your hands, and though justice demands that she die for her crimes, only she can save us."

Jim Raynor gaped for a moment before "Wait a second, you're talking about Kerrigan? It's been four years… Ya show up out of nowhere and—" He gesticulated wildly before Zeratul pulled him closer and put an object of some sort in his hand, stopping his sentence from reaching the _act like a Drama Queen_ part.

"Time is short, you must understand!" The Dark Prelate said urgently, causing Raynor to fall silent and nod gravely in understanding. Two could play the game of theatrics. "The answers you seek lie within. Study it well. The fate of creation hangs in the balance…"

The elevator dinged as was traditional for all elevators when they reached a destination floor, in this case the floor the Laboratory and Armoury were on. The lights brightened again as Zeratul cloaked, vanishing from sight but not Jim's Omni Sensor, which highlighted his outline on Jim's HUD "Nice to see you too…" as the Dark Templar and Jim Raynor left the elevator side by side, Jim grabbed Zeratul's arm "Next time, don't just come onboard like that, if they didn't know you were friendly, or actually looked at their Omni Sensor readouts, my boys could accidentally have shot you!"

"What is this 'Omni Sensor' you speak of?" Zeratul suddenly remembered Jim couldn't see him nor his air quotes if he was cloaked, then he de-cloaked.

"Zeratul, I never expected you to make air quotes, but the Raiders have gotten a few upgrades over the last few years… you notice how the Hyperion isn't a dingy old half-functional ship held together by spit and prayers anymore?" The Dark Templar nodded "Well, it's a long story, but I think if you really have pierced the veil of the future, you should know what I speak of. The Coalition of Species sure did a lot for us after we met them…" The Dark Prelate nodded again "Well then please stop being such a Drama Queen!"

"Alright, alright, now can you let go?" Zeratul said irritably, shaking his arm slightly to make it clear what he meant.

"Sorry Zeratul, but I have to tell the boys you're friendly, since we just got back from fighting the Tal'darim; don't want them to accidentally shoot you, especially with how easily our new weapons cut through those Stalkers…" Raynor let go and toggled his comm. to ship-wide broadcast "Boys, we have a friendly Dark Templar Onboard, please refrain from firing at him, or there will be certain unpleasant consequences. Anyways, see you in a bit, Zeratul!"

Zeratul did the first Protoss eye-roll Raynor had ever witnessed "Farewell, friend Raynor."

* * *

_Laboratory, Hyperion, September 30, 3868_

"Holding these artefacts is making me nervous. Can you tell me any more about them?" Raynor motioned up at the three artefact pieces floating in the middle of the containment field.

Ariel Hanson put a hand to her chin "It's interesting; the one from Xil is different than the others. However, I think all of them once constituted a single device."

"You mean they make something bigger?"

She shrugged "It would seem so. It's just a theory, but there's an attraction between the artefacts we've collected, a kind of harmonic resonance. Given the points of contiguous trans-linear alignment I think they'd be drawn together like magnets under the right field adjustment."

Raynor held up a hand "Okay. Well don't adjust anything just yet, Doc. I like them aligned just the way they are." He thought for a moment before telling her the whole thing "To be honest, Sonance Artillery and grenades are so named because they're plasma contained using harmonic resonance, so to hear you mentioning that about these things sounds a bit… hazardous."

"Oh, well…" Hanson shuffled her feet slightly under Raynor's scrutiny before Raynor noticed someone else in the lab.

"I guess we'll talk later, Doc, I should go see what Tychus is doing." Raynor said.

"Alright, I'll speak with you later, Jim." She nodded respectfully before going back to her work console and desk.

"Hey, Tychus, so now we've got three of these artefacts on my ship! When are we supposed to hand these damn things over?" Raynor asked Tychus, who was apparently working on some sort of research project.

"They got their hands full right now. The Zerg are about to invade Tyrador where Moebius' main research center is. I don't reckon we'll hear anything from them until they relocate somewhere safe." Tychus chewed down some more of his Energy Bar Cigar.

Raynor rolled his eyes "Wonderful… what have you got there, Tychus?" It looked like some sort of script…

Tychus shrugged and gestured at the script vaguely "Meh, I was just considering a good sales pitch for my cigars and cigarettes, I've already got a series of patents for them anyhow, might as well make some credits off of them."

"Right, uh, Tychus, can that wait until AFTER this whole Mengsk mess is dealt with?"

"Yeah, sure" Tychus waved it off "I know that… anyways, I was looking for you, what's with that Protoss crystal thingy anyways?"

"Well, Zeratul gave it to me; want to come see me use it?" They'd made their way over to the Ihan crystal as they spoke.

"Better call Hanson over too for that, Jimmy." Tychus took a breath "DOCTOR HANSON! COME OVER HERE!" Ariel Hanson appeared by Jim's side a moment later, hands over her ears "Oh, sorry, I forgot to turn down the suit speakers…" Tychus fiddled with a setting on his suit's chest-projected holoconsole before looking up at Raynor and Hanson "that better?"

Raynor simply rolled his eyes, since he was used to the loud ex-convict, while Hanson nodded mutely. "So, I've heard of these Ihan crystals before… Supposedly, they allow ya' to relive another person's memories. Whatever Zeratul's uncovered…" Raynor reached for the crystal, both Hanson and Tychus watching him intently, half-crouched on either side of the pedestal, eyes flitting between his hand and the crystal. "…he was desperate for me to see it too. Well, here goes nothing…" Raynor's hand finally touched the crystal just as Tychus and Ariel instinctively threw their arms over their faces and leapt back.

* * *

A/N: I know it's easy to organize the Codices into another separate fic… I just don't feel like doing it yet. And also, they would make my profile annoying to navigate if I put them there, so no. I'll gather them up when I feel like it (i.e. when I get writer's block, though that seems pretty far off from here *squints into distance*).

I hope the new and improved Siege tank isn't too disappointing; it is in fact a whole lot better than the old one. I hope I got the power of the Raider Wraith across accurately in this chapter… Also, I hope the now powered-up Colossus seems less stupid than it was in-game. I mean, it's supposed to tower about twelve times as tall as Reavers (from SC 1), according to one of the art pieces. Reavers are… 3 meters tall? So that's 36 meters or so, slightly taller than a Harbinger (and at 3000 Health, 3000 Shields, a bit more durable), it's not unreal for one to cut easily through 30 T1 Light Armour or Light Mobile Artillery units, even if there are two Restorers firing on it from up high and it's already taken bombardment fire. The targeting capabilities are faster actuating than a Monkeylord's, the guns swing faster, because they're smaller. Also, Thermal Lances, Infrared Lasers, same thing, I'd say, because heat is infrared energy most of the time.

I just realized that compared to most authors (excluding those who finish writing a fic before starting to post), I update absurdly fast.

PLEASE REVIEW, comment, critique, ask questions/demand explanations, and above all DO NOT SIMPLY DO A ONE-LINER REVIEW, if you want to review, actually say something useful (but keep it under about 5 or 7 items, please). That is all, thanks for reading.


	12. Doomsayer

A/N: Sorry for making Raynor think Zeratul's a joke, but you'll see what really happened behind the scenes in that encounter in this chapter. It will not have too much in terms of action, but Raynor will observe the consequences of the actions.

Also, on-village-idiot, did I not mention the Serenity T3 Mobile Artillery had pretty much levelled the entire Protoss base by the time the battle was over? And by the way, guys, it's a 7 kiloton directed plasma payload, 1500 Damage, SUPCOM DAMAGE, per 20 seconds, the only reason Raynor used a 3.5 kiloton shell on Mar Sara and Agria was because he didn't want to risk too much collateral… I feel suddenly sorry for the Protoss.

For the record a thermal lance on a tower would be approximately equal to a T1 point defence in DPS (160 vs. 150). And I don't think the Raiders will be salvaging the Thermal Lances, since they prefer using their Thors… though sadly Raynor decided that time to test out Tanks and only start deploying Thors and the Odin if he got desperate… which didn't happen.

* * *

Chapter 12: Doomsayer

_Laboratory, Hyperion, September 30, 3868_

The two with Raynor had thrown themselves backwards instinctively, then frowned and looked back toward Raynor and the crystal. "Is he alright?" Hanson whispered to Tychus, who had walked around Raynor, who seemed to just be standing there, frozen, while the two blinked at the complete lack of dramatic flashes of light or much of anything upon Raynor touching the Crystal.

"I think he'll be okay, his armour monitors say so at least…" Tychus responded, before realizing something "Why did you just stage-whisper?"

"I did NOT stage-whisper!" Hanson insisted at a normal volume.

"Zeratul…what the hell have you gotten yourself into?" Raynor suddenly said and shook his head, as if he was seeing/hearing something Tychus and Hanson could not, the two took one step back simultaneously from their friend, afraid that interfering would hurt him.

Hanson turned to Tychus "What do we do now that he's in that trance?"

"We wait, and we make sure one of us is in the lab at all times until he snaps out of it… are Ihan Crystals dangerous in any way?"

"No, they'll let the user get out whenever they need to eat, drink, sleep or go to the bathroom, though occasionally they take care of the needs for the user by putting them in suspended animation if it's a very long memory."

* * *

_Inside Raynor's Mind, Laboratory, Hyperion, September 30, 3868_

The old, old Dark Prelate's bright green eyes seemed dulled somehow, as if weighed down by countless worlds on his shoulders "Raynor… the hounds of the void are closing in… I impart my memory—my very essence—into this Ihan crystal… so that you will see what I have seen… and that the future… may yet have hope."

"Zeratul…what the hell have you gotten yourself into?" Raynor shook his head. _Maybe the old guy wasn't being completely over-dramatic after all… Let's hear what he has to say._ Raynor thought.

Zeratul began speaking again after a brief pause "Friend Raynor… long has it been since we stood together against the Swarm. Since then I have wandered the Void in solitude, seeking an ancient prophecy rumoured to foretell the return the Xel'Naga. My sojourn led me to a remote world known as Ulaan…where I discovered fragments of the prophecy. Yet I was not the first to find them. It falls to you now, old friend…to relive my memories…and believe."

"Legends hint that Ulaan is the resting place of tablets inscribed with a prophecy revealing the will of the ageless Xel'Naga. No living creature has touched its surface for tens of thousands of years… until now." The narrative voice rang in the background as Zeratul's visage faded before Raynor.

The memories showed Zeratul in third-person, studying drawings upon a stone wall by the light of his brilliant green Warp Blade. Every so often, lightning would flash and thunder would boom in the background as the rain poured down everywhere but under the small overhang that sheltered the stone wall's engravings.

"The Zerg Swarm came as was foretold… and the Protoss, first born of the gods, rose to fight them. Now, the Xel'Naga that forged us all… are returning." He did the Protoss equivalent of a frown "But do they come to save…?" He paused, then leaned closer to a particular picture on the wall, as if to examine its meaning closer "…or to destroy?" He suddenly fluidly turned around, and, holding his Warp Blade up, looks around the rain-soaked ruins he was in.

After an intense but short action sequence during which Raynor observed Zeratul's melee technique, Kerrigan revealed herself, laughing "I knew you'd find your way here eventually."

"Your very presence defiles this place, Kerrigan." Zeratul snarled, eyes glowing brighter.

Kerrigan gestured skyward with one armoured hand "Do you hear them, Zeratul, whispering from the stars? The galaxy will burn with their coming."

Zeratul cloaked and attacked Kerrigan, who blocked his strikes "…but you won't live to see it!" he stated as he swiped at her with his Warp Blade.

Kerrigan merely redirected his strikes before using a Psi Blast to stun him and hold him in the air. She shook her head "Please. Our petty conflicts mean nothing now. A storm is coming that CANNOT be stopped, Fitting…that we should face oblivion together."

"Never!" Zeratul cried before overcoming the Psi Blast and lunging forward, Warp Blade at full extension. Kerrigan twisted out of the way, so that the blade only hacked away one of her bony wings/claws, then she slashed his right arm with her hand before throwing him to the ground with a kick that stunned the Dark Prelate.

She stood over the templar, her wing starting to re-grow already, and shook her head "FATE cannot be changed. The END comes. And when it finds me… I shall embrace it at last." She left Zeratul there to pick himself back up, clutching at his wounded arm, stumbling off and slapping on some Protoss first-aid thing that looked to be an equivalent to medi-gel.

Jim watched Zeratul head for the first shrine that held a fragment of the prophecy, killing any Zerg that stood in his way… until he held the first prophecy fragment's data within his grasp… "The first fragment of the prophecy! Soon all will be made clear." Though Jim wondered why Zeratul had become fond of talking to himself, he figured it was to help him understand what the Dark Prelate was doing.

"Why not surrender yourself to oblivion, Zeratul? Wouldn't it be better to end your struggle now than witness the final agonizing moments of your species?" Kerrigan sent before she closed the transmission.

"The foreboding prophecy weighs heavily on my heart. I'd best reach the remaining shrines before she reconsiders letting me live." Zeratul said in narration.

James Raynor simply watched Zeratul cut his way through more Zerg, finding a squad of friendly Stalkers to assist him, narrating the events every so often for Raynor's benefit.

"The second fragment of the prophecy! My task is nearly complete…" Zeratul picked up the data disk containing the second prophecy fragment and slotted it into one of his armour's compartments carefully before the Queen of Blades spoke again.

"Your hope is an illusion, old fool." She spat.

Zeratul shook his head "If you can so easily read my mind, Kerrigan, you'll see that I'll never give up so long as hope remains!" He proceeded toward the third shrine and continued his narrative for Raynor, meeting up with a High Templar and his forces en route. A few dead Ultralisks, Nydus Worms and Hatcheries later, he reached the final piece of the prophecy. "The final piece of the prophecy… It speaks of one who shall help '…break the cycle of the gods…'"

"Most ominous. But if the Queen of Blades seeks this prophecy, we must keep it from her." The High Templar who'd assisted Zeratul said.

"The rest is obscured… what?" Zeratul's mind was suddenly given a major influx of data, of psionic Protoss voices requesting assistance against overwhelming numbers of Zerg.

"You might peel away the prophecy's layers, Zeratul, but you cannot outrun the doom that awaits us all!" Kerrigan stated gravely as her Zerg attacked. Raynor bore witness to another "hold the line" sequence akin to that of when he and Fenix remained on Aiur to hold off the Zerg before Zeratul made a run for his ship and barely made it, losing all his Stalkers in the process.

Zeratul boarded the Void Seeker just in time to boost away from the planet and cloak, evading his pursuers. Later, sitting alone onboard his ship as it self-repaired, he looked down at the prophecy fragments and shook his head "I cannot decipher the fragments on my own. Yet I know who might interpret them: the Preservers of Zhakul… If they cannot…I fear this entire universe will burn."

Raynor decided to stop watching the memories then, he needed to go to the washroom, and maybe check up on some of his crew. He squeezed his eyes shut and willed to leave the crystal's vision, when he opened them again; Doctor Hanson was the first to notice. "I'm Okay, Doc, before you start asking. I should have explained better… This crystal… I wouldn't mess with it if I were you. It's a Khaydarin 'Ihan' crystal. It's a memory storage device, lets you experience what other people have seen or done. They can be dangerous if you don't know what you're doing."

"Yet you don't fear it at all. You're a fascinating man, Jim Raynor. You know more about the Protoss and the Zerg than any of the 'experts' I've read about." Hanson bit her lip after that.

"Yeah, that's what happens when you've fought with or against them for as long as I have…"

The awkward silence was broken by Hanson getting back on-topic "You were staring at that Protoss device for a very long time. Are you sure you're okay?"

Raynor scratched the back of his head absently "Well, now you mention it I could use a drink or two. Maybe what I saw would make more sense if I was drunk."

Hanson frowned "What was it, Jim?"

"An old friend of mine…was looking for the end of the world."

Ariel's eyebrows went up "Well, uh, okay then… I found something interesting about the artefacts…"

"What is it, Doc?"

"Whenever you use that Protoss device over there," Hanson gestured toward the Ihan crystal "the artefacts respond by drawing together and expanding their molecular matrices."

"A little slower and with shorter words, please."

"Well, if you think of them as dry sponges, they draw ambient energy like water. These things try to absorb as much energy as they can."

Raynor frowned "Are they dangerous?"

Hanson shook her head "Not if you're human. If my theories are correct, and you were a Protoss, for instance, they could drain the life right out of you."

"Well good thing Zeratul left the ship before I used the crystal." Raynor commented dryly.

"Hey Jimmy!" Tychus had walked over from his workstation, he'd warranted a permanent workstation in the lab considering all the time he spent there. Hanson went back to work "How'd you become such good buddies with those freaky pro-toss? All I hear is they kill Terrans like you and me on sight!"

"Some of 'em would. But some others would fight to the death protecting people like us. I helped 'em defend their homeworld from the Zerg during the first war. When Kerrigan came back leading the Swarm, I helped 'em out again. They're real big on loyalty."

"Damn Jimmy, sounds like you respect 'em." Tychus gave Jim a hearty slap on the back "Well if you do, I'll consider it too." His console beeped "Oh, something new just came in from Swann's end of things, better get back to work, I'll see ya round, Jimmy, especially if you use that crystal again."

"I'll see you around, Tychus." The aforementioned man went back to his station. "Doc, there are some Protoss data discs that dropped out of the Crystal, they supposedly contain Protoss and Zerg research data Zeratul collected for us, check 'em out, will ya?"

"No problem Jim!" Hanson picked up the discs and put them in the disk racks of the computer console with a nod.

"I'll be seeing you, Doc."

* * *

_Bridge, Hyperion, September 30, 3868_

"You aren't gonna believe this, but I just saw Zeratul on the ship."

"Ah." Horner nodded sagely before frowning "How much did you have to drink today, sir?"

Raynor facepalmed before continuing to tell Matt about what he'd seen. "He was here, Matt, and he was hurt, on the run from something."

"Where is he now, sir?"

"I don't know. But he isn't on this ship anymore. He gave me an Ihan memory crystal and he was desperate for me to study it. I guess he wants me to see what he's seen." Raynor suddenly realized something that could become very important "How long was I down in the lab, Matt?"

"You've been gone for hours, sir." Horner frowned "You've been in the lab all that time, not the Cantina?"

"I used the Ihan crystal Zeratul gave me. I'd swear it only lasted a few minutes… So vivid…" He shook his head "Zeratul's been searching for a Xel'Naga prophecy about the end of the universe. There's more, I just haven't got to it yet."

"Huh, well, nothing new has come up on this end, sir. I'm gathering you want to get back to that Crystal ASAP?"

"Too true, but first I want to check for the latest UNN broadcast."

"Well, have fun." Matt stepped aside from where he'd been standing in front of a console.

Raynor selected the newest UNN broadcast on the machine and the video feed began to roll. "Today I'm speaking with Crown Prince Valerian. Highness, what do you say about the allegations that recently came to light regarding your father's corruption?"

Donny Vermillion had apparently abruptly gotten better. "Kate, there's no need to belabour that topic. Highness, I think the question on everyone's mind is: do you have a special lady in your life?"

Valerian was very, very direct "Truth be told, Kate, I have had a crush on you for many years." Raynor nearly fell off his chair laughing at the normally unflappable Kate Lockwell gaping like a fish out of water.

"I…uh, what?"

The ticker, on the other hand, was sobering "Zerg inflict heavy casualties on Dominion forces"

Valerian waved it off with a grin "But in all seriousness, with the Zerg invasion, there's little time for such things. I've been studying military tactics under General Warfield, and whatever spare time I have is devoted to statecraft."

The ticker rolled on despite Raynor's irritation at the crown prince "Raynor's Raiders quiet" was a problem… they couldn't afford being quiet. "Actress Kyla Velassi nominated for best performance" was irrelevant.

Valerian's next words got on Raynor's nerves "It's my goal to be the best emperor our people could ask for…when the time comes, of course."

Raynor rolled his eyes "Wonderful, now I've got two of 'em to worry about."

* * *

_Inside Raynor's Mind, Laboratory, Hyperion, September 30, 3868_

"Zhakul is an ancient Xel'Naga planet discovered by Protoss wayfarers after the Aeon of Strife. When the Conclave took power on Aiur, all texts and artefacts from the Aeon of Strife were sealed away on Zhakul and guarded by three holy preservers." The narrative said before Zeratul started "I gathered allies and we made our way to the forbidden archive of Zhakul. There, a triumvirate of mystic Preservers awaited us. And in the shadows, something else was watching… and waiting."

Raynor flexed his neck before immersing himself in the Ihan Crystal's vision "Alright Zeratul, old buddy, you got your mysterious prophecy. Now let's see what your Preservers made of it."

"My quest to decipher the prophecy took me to the forbidden archive world of Zhakul." The vision showed the Void Seeker approaching a planet "Here, three immortal Preservers guarded ancient knowledge. Only they could transcribe the prophetic fragments. I needed to seek them out quickly."

Zeratul then narrated the actual operation "It is strangely silent here, yet these structures are intact. With power they would be functional."

"The mighty spirits of the preservers are imprisoned close by, we must find them. There are many abandoned structures in this place that we can make use of. They merely need their power restored by the construction of a few well-placed pylons."

Raynor witnessed the narrative of the mission, of capturing the Dark Shrine, Robotics Facility and Templar Archives, and of liberating some Protoss warriors right before… "The Preservers you seek serve a higher power now, dark one." A group of oddly-coloured Stalkers attacked Zeratul's base, though they were beaten back by Zeratul's warriors before Zeratul's forces marched east, leaving some of their number and Photon Cannons to defend the base, and struck back at the corrupted Protoss. They'd found the coordinates of the Preservers' spirits, in the southeast of the operational area. "Higher power? What could have corrupted these Protoss so? Truly, something foul has taken hold of this sacred place." They attacked the befouled Protoss in the south after establishing a second Nexus and base in the east, liberating an un-powered Templar Archives in the process.

"INTRUDERS…" an ominous voice boomed. Raynor thought it was stereotypical that a corrupting influence had such an ominous, booming voice, but it was evident that this matter was far more serious than just theatrics…

"A… Protoss and Zerg hybrid… Gods, an abomination! Who created this atrocity?" Zeratul exclaimed in the memory. Raynor's jaw dropped, _oh shit, there are more of those hybrids out there?_ No wonder Zeratul thought the matter to be extremely serious, at least for his people, so it wasn't theatrics that caused the old Dark Prelate to act that way in the cargo elevator after all…

"OBLIVION comes. NONE shall stand." The hybrid attacked the Protoss warriors, hacking its way through their shields and armour, broadcasting messages, until he was finally cut down. "I shall return… Come, my SLAVES. The time has come to give me your STRENGTH."

"The hybrid is draining the preservers to survive! I must free them before it is too late!" Zeratul exclaimed as his Protoss hacked their way through the base of the corrupted Protoss that served the hybrid, which reappeared on the battlefield before Zeratul's troops could reach the Preservers "You lives are FORFEIT! Surrender to despair!" It screeched as it attacked, before two Archons halted its advance, assisted by a full dozen immortals.

"You cannot destroy me. I shall rise again." The hybrid announced as it fell again, Zeratul's troops finally having reached the three stone pillars that held the Preservers, where the hybrid was regenerating.

"The spirits of the Preservers are entombed within! We must break them open immediately!" Zeratul announced before his Protoss opened fire on the pillars, blasting them to fragments and freeing the Preservers from the hybrid's grasp, making the regenerating creature let out a dying howl as its still unfinished form fell apart in death.

"We have seen the prophetic fragments in your mind, Zeratul. We will make of them what we can." The first Preserver spoke.

The second joined them "The Cycle shall draw to its end. The Xel'Naga who forged the stars will transcend their creation…"

The third pitched in "Yet, the Fallen One shall remain…"

The first continued it "Destined to cover the Void in shadow…"

The second followed up "It begins with the Great Hungerer."

The third Preserver ended the translation "It ends…in utter darkness. That is all we are able to decipher, great Zeratul, good luck."

The Preservers left to oversee the archives they had guarded for millennia "A Greater Hungerer... could it refer to the Zerg Overmind? It has a part to play in this prophecy? I must seek out the Overmind's final resting place, our ancient homeworld…Aiur." The Protoss that followed Zeratul gasped telepathically and collectively at the announcement, before looking at one another and nodding almost as one.

"We shall follow you, Prelate, command us!" Raynor decided to leave the memory, after all, who knew how long he'd spent in here relative to the rest of the Hyperion?

* * *

_Laboratory, Hyperion, September 30, 3868_

"Be careful Jim. I think you're losing yourself in that crystal." The Doc cautioned as he handed her more of the Protoss and Zerg data discs the crystal had transcribed.

"Don't worry, Doc, I'll be fine." Raynor left after that.

* * *

_Bridge, Hyperion, September 30, 3868_

Tychus almost ran into Jim as the bridge door opened and he tried to leave "I don't think your buddy Horner likes me very much, Jim, I'll be drinking to that" Tychus commented before he left. In reality, they'd been discussing how Raynor was now spending more time in the lab than ever, but unfortunately it wasn't to talk to Doctor Hanson, but stare at a Protoss Crystal all day long.

Horner walked over from his station "Welcome back, sir. Learn anything new from the crystal?"

Raynor grimaced "Something I wish I hadn't seen. You remember that Zerg Protoss hybrid at the lab we raided?"

Matt looked down at the deck for a moment "Hard to forget. That thing was an abomination."

"Well Zeratul took the prophecy fragments he had to a…temple? Library? Kinda both I guess. A hybrid had already taken over the place. Just how many of these things are out there?"

"I don't know sir, but someone's turned up who might."

"Who is it?"

"Apparently, Nova didn't do quite a thorough job of killing someone… and now he's back with thanks, at least for a bit." Horner stepped aside and Raynor's jaw dropped.

"Listen here, brother, I don't really appreciate you backstabbing me like that that time, but now that I'm free of that damned Reaper's influence, I can tell you this… thanks, brother, for freeing me." A semi-see-through image of Gabriel Tosh said, before frowning "You look spooked. You've been seeing what the Protoss has to show you. The memories shine through you as clear as day."

"I saw… a hybrid… something unnatural, well, something unnatural other than you as a spirit standing in front of me." The man and the spectre shared a laugh at this. "By the way, how are you back anyways?" Raynor tried to poke Tosh's shoulder, but his hand went right through.

"Some higher power somewhere decided to let me come back and chat once in a while, though I must say it sure feels damned good to be free again… I'm pretty sure the guys locked up in New Folsom are free too now, but I don't know, man. Anyways, tell me about this hybrid…"

"It was trying to corrupt the Protoss preservers. Who would have sent it there? Who controls something like that?"

"The one that made them, for sure" Tosh rolled his eyes as if it was the most hideously obvious thing in the universe "That was just the first of many that you killed." He shook his head "Dark harbingers, man. Soon they'll be beyond numbering, and the stars will weep at what comes after."

Raynor suddenly frowned "How could you know all this? Maybe it's the Reapers? Back when you were indoctrinated?"

Tosh shook his head slowly ""I don't know, brother, It feels to be true, but I can't remember most of my time under the Reapers anyways, and for once, I'm actually being honest, seriously." Tosh suddenly frowned before passing a hand through a holoconsole "Hey, you know what I just realized?"

"That we were talking about the Reapers after all regarding this dark apocalypse thing?" Raynor ventured.

"No, it's just that I literally AM a Spectre now!" Tosh grinned widely at his own pun. Raynor facepalmed and shook his head sadly.

* * *

A/N: The following mini-section is intended to be purely to poke fun at Anime Laws 64, 71 and 72 (Law of Bad Humour, Law of Inter-Dimensional Hammers, Law of Instant Band-Aids, but minus the female being interested in the male she whacks)

* * *

_In Another (Anime) String Universe, Bridge, Hyperion, September 30, 3868_

"No, it's just that I literally AM a Spectre now!" Tosh grinned, holding his right index finger (and right hand) up, pointing into the air, while a distinct mooing sound was heard in the background. Raynor, Horner, the Adjutant, and the rest of the bridge crew all fell to the floor, feet sticking up in the air, groaning at the sheer lameness of the pun. The Adjutant was first to recover, walking up the Tosh, rolling her eyes, and withdrawing a gigantic Mallet, far larger than herself or Tosh, and swinging it around, almost grazing the very high ceiling of the bridge, smashing Tosh under it.

A shockwave rippled away from the point of impact, the other bridge crew members and consoles all seemingly leaping off the deck as the shockwave passed them, before they fell straight back where they were before, the consoles somehow re-planting themselves where they were before. This was not to mention the impact being hard enough to cause the Adjutant's rather huge breasts to jiggle rather hard, almost like bouncy-balls. Her circuits flared ominously as she heaved for a moment before abruptly lifting the hammer, shaking the piece of flat material off of it, and putting the hammer behind her back somewhere.

Tosh peeled himself off the floor (literally) as the other bridge crew got up. The Spectre rubbed his head and the crossed band-aids that were now stuck over his skin. "What was that for?"

"For being a douche, duh!" The Adjutant rolled her gently glowing orange eyes.

* * *

_Original (Non-Anime) String Universe, Bridge, Hyperion, September 30, 3868_

"Oh, I gotta go, guys, visiting times are nearly over, I'll be back again after you see you next vision, I think." Tosh mimed looking at a watch.

"Was he ever on Omni sensors?" Raynor asked Horner while Tosh hung around.

"None of our sensors, other than Psi sensors, ever picked up anything; it seemed it's just Tosh's Psi Signature without the abnormalities that came back here for a visit. He's Reaper-clean now, sir."

"Hello! I'm right here! Well, not technically, but still… oh, there we go, see ya later!" Tosh faded from existence as Raynor and Horner blinked. The Psi sensor readout slowly flat lined where Tosh had been, none of the other sensors detected any change.

"Hmm… well that was the weirdest thing I've seen in a while, and that's counting the Hybrids."

"I think… we should go catch some sleep, who knows if that was a hallucination or not?" Horner said slowly, looking at the space Tosh's spectre had occupied moments ago.

"I'm going to visit the Armoury first, good night, Matt."

* * *

_Armoury, Hyperion, September 30, 3868_

"What's up, cowboy? Y'know you're looking kinda rough lately, rougher than usual, I mean." Swann waved Raynor over.

"I've...ah...got a lot going on the right now, Swann. You know how it is."

"Yeah, sure." Swann waved it off "Y'know you might want to try laying off the sauce and getting some shuteye once in a while, eh?"

"Thanks, mom. I'll get right on that… anything new?"

"Not really, we've hit a bit of a slump as to what we can get right now, and I'm having inventor's block."

"What's that?"

"Think author's block but for inventors, cowboy."

"Oh, okay… well, I guess since everyone recommended sleep… talk later, Rory."

"Talk later, Jim. Hey, Kachinsky, what have you got there?" Swann left the podium as Raynor left the Armoury.

* * *

_Inside Raynor's Mind, Laboratory, Hyperion, September 31, 3868_

"Aiur was the homeworld of the Protoss, a jungle planet with multiple oceans, gleaming cities, and ancient temples. The arrival of the Zerg changed everything. Now Aiur's primeval jungles are littered with ash, broken war machines, and the remains of the dead." The Narrator's words seriously reminded Raynor of the description for The Wilderness, as that particular area on that particular planet was called…

"_In a different age, the Wilderness might have been a nature preserve. With its waterways and thick forests, life of all kinds flourished. The Wilderness, though, had the misfortune to be chosen as a Gate hub. Its forests now echo with the crash of weapons fire and the waterways are clogged with the hulls of broken warships._" The brief description had been. The major difference was that the Coalition used naval warfare as well as land and air, while no self-respecting power in the Koprulu Sector used naval units anymore. Then again, the description of Aiur today was also reminiscent of that for Seton's Clutch. "_Thousands of battles have been fought over the years across Seton's Clutch. A patient searcher could find the remains of millions of units resting beneath the earth and under the waves._" Yeah, that sounded about right, except it wasn't that many battles that happened on Aiur.

"I returned to our ruined homeworld of Aiur. The Zerg infestation still covered much of our beloved world… The desiccated remains of the Overmind were still there, a grim reminder of battles lost… and battles won." Zeratul's visage said.

"I remember the fall of Aiur. Don't much like the idea of having to see it all again. Guess there's nothing for it…" He immersed himself in the memories, starting with the narrative prelude.

"At the very apex of its victory against us, the Zerg Overmind grew…overconfident. Now, all that was left of the mighty Overmind was a twisted, withered husk. I needed to understand whatever memories lingered within the creature's rotting mass. Only by making contact with the gargantuan tendrils connected directly to its cortex could I learn its secrets. Yet its countless minions, who seemed to be feeding from its dead husk, would prove somewhat…problematic." Zeratul always had a way of making things either seem dramatic or understated when he spoke, Raynor did not believe it to be intentional, since almost all Protoss spoke in such a manner.

"I must find a way to establish a foothold and summon reinforcements to keep the Zerg at bay!" Zeratul moved north and slew some Zerg warriors before he sensed something "Ah, this faithful Observer has kept watch since the evacuation. Its abilities will certainly prove useful now." He accessed its logs and found that there was an old outpost somewhere to the southeast. So, he, along with the observer, moved east before moving southeast.

"Some of these abandoned structures remain functional…we shall make use of them." Zeratul narrated for Raynor's benefit as he activated the Probes that remained in the nexus and set them about gathering mineral and warping in Pylons. He found a curious device near the base "This ancient beacon still thrums with power. I wonder…" He activated the beacon and the ground began to shake gently but rhythmically. The Zeratul in the memory's eyes widened and said "to quote my friend Raynor, uh oh…"

The probes were still busily harvesting minerals and gas, and the Warp Gates were frantically gating in Stalkers, but Zeratul doubted, from the rumbling of the earth, that it would be enough. Suddenly, a gold and blue object appeared over a small butte (small plateau) and then the giant war machine revealed itself, followed by another of its brethren. "Ah! I've heard tales of the mighty colossi sealed away beneath Aiur! The beacon must have awoken these fearsome guardians!"

After gating in most of his followers, Zeratul briefed them "The Zerg will keep coming until we are dead. I must find the Overmind's cortex and discover what I can from it." The Protoss army marched east, clearing out several overseers before letting Zeratul do the work and slaughter the burrowed Zerg. The group marched north toward the first Overmind Tendril, Zeratul noting a un-powered but intact Warp Gate and Obelisk en route to slaughter the Zerg guarding the Tendril and a resource area." These warp gates appear to be functional. Perhaps there's a chance…" Once the area was cleared of the Zerg, he brought in a Probe to wait for the creep to clear up before contacting the first tendril "I sense… pain, Surprise, Death."

Once they'd established a second resource base and fortified it with Photon Cannons, the obelisk and Warp Gate was finally reactivated "Adun Toridas, Zeratul! We were trapped within the gate's energy matrix when it was deactivated! You have our thanks!" A group of High Templar joined up.

Raynor witnessed as Zeratul and his army cleared the way to each of the Overmind Tendrils "The second Overmind tendril. I sense… death… and joy?" then, after hacking through more Zerg, "The third Overmind tendril. I sense… satisfaction… in a plan set in motion long ago… and… fear of the future?" and finally, after powering up all abandoned structures and obelisks "The fourth Overmind tendril. I sense… an end. I must go to the Overmind Cortex to understand." Then, Raynor was given a huge shock.

Tassadar appeared, hovering above the corpse of the Overmind. "Greetings, brother, I speak to you… from the Beyond." Then again, it wasn't that implausible, since Tosh's spectre, which was a lot friendlier and far less creepy than he had been when alive, had appeared on the Hyperion.

"Tassadar! But… you died… slaying this cursed Overmind!"

The spirit shook his head "I have never tasted death, Zeratul, nor shall I. But that is a tale for another time. I have come to tell you of this creature's…courage."

"Courage? It was an abomination!" Zeratul waved his arm in an encompassing, sweeping gesture at the remains of the Overmind.

Tassadar shook his head again "Not always. The Zerg were…altered. A single over-riding purpose was forced upon them, the destruction of our people." Tassadar paused and looks downward briefly "The Overmind was formed with thought and reason…but not free will. It screamed and raged within the prison of its own mind."

Zeratul stared at the spirit "Who did this? Why?"

Tassadar shrugged "I know not. But the Overmind found a way to resist its all-consuming directive. It created a chance…a hope of salvation. The Queen of Blades."

"Madness!" Zeratul whispered in denial

"Only she can free the Zerg from slavery…and in so doing, save all that we are…from the flame."

Zeratul frowned and shook his head "I do not understand, brother."

Tassadar moved closer "Forget what you know, Zeratul. The Overmind saw a vision…the end of all things. And now you must see it too…" the spirits eyes glowed brighter, the Psionic power of Tassadar's spirit flaring.

Zeratul fell to his knees, clawing at his head. "No! This vision! I cannot bear it, stop!" Raynor decided now would be a very good time to take a break… and left the Ihan Crystal's mental grasp.

* * *

_Mess Hall, Hyperion, September 31, 3868_

Raynor sat down opposite Swann and Horner with a steaming bowl, though size-wise it was more like a tub, of Chow Mien and dug in. The ingredients were of high quality and the chefs on the Hyperion were excellent, hence the reason Tychus, when he'd first come aboard, suggested the Raiders open a series of restaurants as a front for earning money. Raynor had said it was too risky.

Between bites, he talked with Horner "Damn, Matt. I don't even know what to make of this last vision from the crystal. Zeratul was looking for more clues about the end of the universe…but this time he was on Aiur."

Horner frowned and decided to cut the steak in front of him instead of shoving the part on his fork in his mouth "Aiur? What was he looking for?"

Raynor had put his fork down already "He was trying to find out why the Overmind made the Queen of Blades in the first place."

Horner's knife and fork fell against the edges of his plate with two soft clinks "She's the one that's going to destroy the universe?"

Raynor shook his head vigorously "No, that's just it…I think she's the only one that can save it."

Horner frowned and went back to his food, while Swann finished talking to Kachinsky and started telling Raynor about his newest discoveries "Y'know, I been watching the logs. Those damn Protoss are still way ahead of the Terrans and maybe even the Coalition in some ways. I can't believe some of the stunts they can pull off."

Raynor grunted "Tell me about it! They've learned some new tricks since the last time we fought."

"I mean c'mon, since when could they warp in guys just anywhere? I thought they needed some kinda gateway at least!" Swann gestured grandly, though he was careful to have put down all his utensils first.

Raynor shook his head "Not just anywhere, they need a pylon or another power source close by. Still, they've been working to improve their tech just like us, except they didn't find another power to supply them with a whole crapload of new toys." The meal resumed in utter silence, until Raynor checked the newest UNN broadcast

The ticker said "Dominion fringe worlds continue to revolt" and "Raynor's Raiders terrorist group biding its time, experts say". The first was invigorating, the second made Raynor get the feeling they needed to do something, fast.

Kate Lockwell spoke "Tonight on UNN… Another world has broken into open revolt, and Emperor Mengsk still refuses to give any interviews. Is the Dominion falling apart around us?" The ticker seemed to think so, with "Emperor Mengsk still in seclusion"

The classic recording played again "I will rule this sector or see it burnt to ashes around me…"

The ticker rolled on with "Kyla Velassi: I'm excited to win an award!" and "Prince Valerian announces new science initiative"

Lockwell continued "In this reporter's opinion—"

Raynor snorted "Ole Mengsk is in deep now. He can burn for all I care." The others nodded agreement, still chewing.

* * *

_Laboratory, Hyperion, September 31, 3868_

"When I get outta this suit, first thing I'm doing is…" Tychus suddenly realized he was talking to the highly cultured Doctor Hanson when the lab door hissed closed behind Raynor "well, I'd hate to offend your delicate sensibilities, Doc."

"Let me guess… get laid?" Raynor said, rolling his eyes.

"Nah, take a proper piss without this suit getting in the way of me seeing myself…"

Raynor held up a hand "I don't want to hear it, Tychus. Anyways, Doc, now that Tychus has scarred you for life, how is the research?"

"Watch out!" Tychus had drawn his sidearm, a Phasic SMG (it was the closest to a carbine), and pointed it at a person who put their partly see-through hands up, while Tychus pushed Raynor behind his body, shielding Raynor with his armour. Then he grabbed Hanson and shoved her behind himself too.

"Hi, Tychus, it seems our brother here didn't tell you about me being a free spirit yet?" Tosh said amusedly, putting his hand through a solid holo-pedestal to illustrate his point. "Try poking me."

Tychus pulled back one armoured arm and swung it around through Tosh's spirit without doing anything "Okay now that is creepy."

"Anyways, I'm here to visit Jim and chat with him. Don't know why that is but I'm guessing it's some sort of greater power out there." Tosh's spectre shrugged before looking past Tychus at Jim "You look…haunted. You've been seeing into the spirit world, and you learned something you don't like. It's…Kerrigan?"

"It seems the Overmind made Kerrigan to…free the Zerg…from something, something that put 'em on a collision course with the Protoss. It's all gone wrong. Everything's…twisted, and there's something out there that's set to destroy us all."

Tosh's spectre shook his head "Zerg…Protoss. These are strong races. How terrible, how powerful, is something that plays with their fates?" The man's eyes glowed slightly brighter for a moment before his watch dinged "Well, gotta go… thanks again for freeing me, brother." He nodded curtly before fading from view.

"That… was the oddest, most unscientific thing I have seen in my life." Hanson said, staring at where Tosh's spectre had been.

"I agree…" Tychus spoke slowly, shaking his head and checking his Omni.

"Now that that chat with Tosh's ghost, I mean, spectre, right… is over, I need to get back to the crystal to see exactly what Zeratul has seen…"

* * *

_Inside Raynor's Mind, Laboratory, Hyperion, September 31, 3868_

"Now, friend Raynor, you must see the Overmind's vision of the future. This is the end of my people… the Terrans of this sector and the Zerg. This is our fate, should Kerrigan die…"

"I don't think I want to see any vision of the Overmind's... But if Kerrigan's involved... I need to know."

"In Protoss legends the planet Ulnar was the mythical last resting place of the gods, the very center of creation from which all life ultimately flows." The narrator trailed off.

The Overmind's voice began to speak, as if musing to itself. "On a distant, shadowed world, the Protoss will make their final stand. Their heroes will gather, their forces will be marshalled, and they will die bravely. But still, they will die. And my Zerg… will be slaves… to the hybrids. All of us will bow before the power… of the Fallen One." It whispered the last part as if in sorrow.

The vision began with Zeratul broadcasting a speech to all the remaining Protoss, gathered together on the desolate surface of Ulnar "Protoss brethren, heed me! The last twilight has fallen. The galaxy burns around us! The Terrans of the Koprulu Sector have been consumed, the Covenant and Council overrun…" Here, Zeratul paused the memory recording, "by the way, Raynor, I have no clue what the Covenant and Council are, perhaps other major interstellar governments out there? Do you know?" The narrator Zeratul gave a shrug before resuming the memory payback.

"We and the Coalition are all that stands against the shadow. But if we are to meet our end this day, then we will do so AS ONE! En Taro Tassadar!"

Zeratul paused the memory again at this point "by the way, I had no clue what the Coalition of Species was either, but I saw some of their war machines… they were… awe-inspiring indeed, made me wonder why the Protoss never tried building anything like them… probably because of how just the Colossi inflicted such grievous massacres when they were first used that we decided to never again use such massive war machines and sealed them away."

A high templar reported in "Great one, the vault is prepared. Guard us while we preserve our knowledge for those that may follow. They must not make the mistakes we did."

"I have rallied the last of our great fleet!" Admiral Urun, in his modified Phoenix (Raynor recognized the added tech as Coalition-derived, which, though much bulkier than typical Protoss tech, was more powerful) led a great swarm of the fighters down into the atmosphere of the planet, circling above the base where the Protoss would make their last stand.

"Your timing is impeccable, Admiral Urun! When the enemy takes to the air, we will need your support." Zeratul stated.

A transmission, from a visage with one pair of large, bright yellow eye-like slits beneath another, smaller set, rumbled "The Zerg performed their function as I had planned…My hybrid are proof of this. Now, the last of the Protoss will fulfill their function…In death!" The first Zerg assault wave, and what a wave it was, came from the northeast, hundreds of Zerglings and Mutalisks swarming the lines of Photon Cannons, Zealots and Immortals, shields, claws, blades and carapace crashing together in a lethal symphony of war.

"The Zerg are swarming at our flanks. We have to react quickly or our perimeter defences will fall!" Urun reported urgently as Brood Lords, Swarm Guardians and Devourers came from the northwest and southeast sides, immediately being engaged by the nimble Phoenix fighters that patrolled the skies. Zerg acid splashed against modified, Coalition-standard plating that had been refitted onto the Protoss fighters, plating able to resist Aqua Regia, strongest of all acid mixes, and splattered off harmlessly, only the internally contained reactive chemicals doing anything by explosive damage.

"All shall be remade in my name! Behold my greatest creation!" a pair of Hybrid Reavers moved in from the northeast as the Zerglings and Mutalisks fell without Protoss casualties, though quite a lot of warriors sported injuries, their suits were rapidly healing them with medi-gel, courtesy of the Coalition. The Immortals and Stalkers opened fire, along with the Colossi and remaining Photon Cannons, while Probes flitted about warping in more Cannons. Fortunately, the power of the Colossi was formidable enough to cut down the Reavers in short order.

"Brethren, the Coalition will be able to send reinforcements as soon as they can repel the attacks on their core worlds, we need only hold out for a few more hours!" Zeratul called to all the Protoss as they rested for a moment.

"I'm detecting a large amount of Zerg activity in their hive clusters! Prepare for an assault!" Urun's Observers, which were an integral part of his Phoenix Fleet, had reported in.

"Our void rays are ready to do their part! Disengage prism inhibitors and concentrate all batteries on the hybrids!" Mohandar, another of the Dark Prelates, second only to Zeratul, had reported in with a rather large fleet of Void rays whose beams blazed across the skies.

"Well met, great Mohandar! For Aiur!" Zeratul shouted telepathically, the Protoss, those that remained, roared.

"Every hand is turned against you. Even the ground beneath your feet carries the seeds of your destruction!" The void rays banked into three battle groups, focusing on the Hybrid Reavers that closed in from all three entrances, without much success on the parts of the Protoss. Nydus Worms began erupting from the ground around the Archive building, but before they could disgorge any Zerg Warriors they were struck down by thousands of Interceptors descending from the skies.

"This is the hour of truth, noble templar! Let the enemy know the wrath of Aiur's champions!" High Executor Selendis shouted as her personal carrier led an entire fleet forward, holding position over the base as Interceptors in the thousands swarmed down onto and over the battlefield.

"High Executor Selendis! Unleash the full power of your forces! There may be no tomorrow!"

She replied with a nod "En taro Tassadar, Zeratul!"

Thousands of Mutalisks closed in from every direction, the Dark Voice announcing that "You have no place to hide and nowhere to run!"

"This is Hierarch Artanis, commanding the Shield of Aiur! Our matrix fields are within range! Engaging mass recall!" A fleet of hundreds of ships and an army of hundreds of thousands appeared beneath and around the looming bulk of the three kilometre diameter Mothership (counting all the prongs, the main hull is only 1 km radius or 2 diameter) "My brethren, hear me, for there is little time left. All that remains of our race, our civilization, are those that stand beside you now. Trust in each other. Strike as one will. Let our last stand burn a memory so bright we will be remembered forever. En taro Tassadar!"

"Foolish, prideful children…There was one among you who could have jeopardized my great plan in this part of the galaxy…but in your recklessness, you mistook her for the true threat!" The Dark Voice said disdainfully as more Zerg flooded in from all directions and the Protoss began losing warriors.

"The Queen of Blades…how could we have known?" Zeratul hissed as he and thousands of other Protoss engaged the onrushing Zerg in a brutal hand-to-hand over kilometres of the battle line, zealots and templar falling every so often as the Zerg horde broke themselves upon the line. Ultralisks began appearing, ramming through the line with their awesome Kaiser Blades and head spines, like those of Spine Crawlers.

"Your efforts are futile. My harbingers will usher in a new age!" Hundreds of Hybrid Reavers began appearing on the battlefield, ripping into the fray and tearing apart Protoss warriors. The skies darkened with millions of Zerg fliers that challenged the Protoss air armada in an all-out battle that rained down destroyed aircraft and Zerg carcasses all over the battlefield, crushing unfortunate warriors of both sides, turning the great plateau the Protoss had chosen for their stand into an urban combat nightmare as mobs of Zerg met armies of Protoss among the ruins of fliers and base defences alike.

It did not take many hours before the Protoss, finished with the archives, sealed the structure beneath the ground and retreated to the highest, southwest corner of the absolutely enormous plateau, their backs to the sea. Their numbers had dwindled from the hours of incessant combat to only a few thousand survivors, and the five main leaders gathered there that day. The Zerg Swarm, finished smashing apart the sea of Photon Cannons, began rushing up the two ramps that the Protoss turned into kill zones, despite the slowly depleting numbers of Protoss Warriors thanks to the thousands of Hydralisks, Roaches and other attackers. The air fleet was busy with Mutalisk clouds, Devourers and Corruptors. Swarm Guardians and Brood Lords were targeted as priority targets by the Phoenixes, but…

"There's just…too many of them…" Urun's specially modified Phoenix, one of the few Phoenixes remaining, had finally taken too many Glaive Worms and other attacks, and came crashing down to earth, Urun ejecting just as all the other downed pilots had so far "gotta thank those Coalition folk for this… 'Civilian Armour'" he snorted, pulling out the Laser SMG and Gauss Pistol that came standard issue with the armour before he slowed down abruptly as he approached the ground, the Impact Trauma Pod firing up and slowing him down as he took cover behind a destroyed Stalker and pitched in what he could to the defence against the Zerg Swarm, just as all his surviving pilots were doing, using the plasma blade that now came standard with any SMG to handle any Zerg that got too close. (A/N: Will be explained/invented later in the string of fics.)

"I return…to the Void… scratch that, ground; these Impact Trauma Pods are incredible!" Mohandar's Void Ray had been beset by dozens of Devourers, the heavy hitters of Zerg air units, and torn apart, spilling the Protoss crewmembers toward the ground far below them, thankfully, the Impact Trauma Pods kept them alive and their landing areas were behind the Protoss lines as opposed to the Zerg ones. The Protoss had come to the tactic of parking all their ships behind their own lines other than Interceptors used to destroy Swarm Guardians and Brood Lords. The net result was that though dying ships would be put on a ballistic course to crash behind Zerg lines and crush lots of Zerg, the ejected crews could join the battle lines in cutting or gunning down the enemy. They had been forced to arm the Zealots with ranged Coalition weaponry in addition to their Psi Blades for this final stand.

"Forgive me great Tassadar…I wasn't…strong enough, to keep our fleet working." Selendis said as her carrier, the last carrier fell apart, the escape craft popping away from the ship one by one. She reached for her weapons as she landed the bridge crew's escape pod and jumped out, opening fire on a couple Zerglings that were trying to sneak around the Protoss line. The rest of the crew followed as they made a beeline toward the Protoss lines, the Zerg and Hybrids hot on their heels. The moment they reached the line, cutting, shooting and bludgeoning through the Zerg in the way, they turned back and opened fire upon the Zerg and Hybrids that pressed in.

Artanis looked down at his console before whispering "Kerrigan…how could we have known… To the escape pods! Direct this ship on a collision course for the nearest Hive clusters and prepare to overload the core!" The Mothership would serve as an enormous, well, in this case, hammer and bomb at the same time. The weapons had been melted away from pure damage, and the engines were down to one-quarter output, as the sluggish ship began moving, the warriors that remained shuffled into the escape pods and blasted away from the ship, being immediately set upon by Mutalisks. Only a handful of the pods made their way back to the Protoss liens, which had been pushed back from the ramps and surrounded as only a few dozen warriors, the heroes among them, remained standing against the encroaching Zerg Swarm and the Hybrids.

"As I was your beginning, so shall I be…your end. Your light is expended. You are finished." The Dark Voice announced triumphantly before exclaiming "How… how is this possible?"

Enormous streaks of yellow light and grey blurs of Gauss Cannon shells flew overhead from the sea, detonating among the Zerg and Hybrid line that had just re-organized and pressed in. The plateau, a good thirty meters above water level, began to rumble as enormous blue-white beams crossed the heavens, where only Zerg remained. Four gigantic, bipedal, green and white machines stepped out of the sea, firing the beams from their heads, sweeping across the Hybrid and Zerg liens, cutting them apart. Dozens of rectangular-shaped Air Transports landed behind the walkers, disgorging hundreds of huge tanks that rumbled ahead of the far more massive walkers, before more enormous machines rolled in from the sea.

Two absurdly huge grey and blue slab-like things, taller than the plateau was above the sea, had climbed the steep incline between the top of the plateau and the water as if it was nothing and began pounding the Zerg and Hybrid lines with a firestorm of shells while deploying more machines from their back ends. Zeratul, watching the scene, was strangely reminded of an animal excreting waste while moving forward, though he had NEVER witnessed waste products pouring out so much Flak. The sea the Protoss had turned their backs on in their stand was filled with warships and other units of Coalition design, all the land-capable ones surging forward to join in the fray. Needless to say, the few that were missed by the massive bipedal walkers and moving slabs that fired off enormous volleys of artillery shells were picked off by the smaller units. But, looking around at what remained of his people, Zeratul knew that it would not be enough, the Protoss race was doomed to extinction, simply not enough survived to be a viable population.

Zeratul the narrator was back "Friend Raynor, you now bear witness… to the truth. There is a malevolent presence within the Void that seeks to destroy everything we hold dear. Could this… Fallen One be a Xel'Naga? After so long… could the gods themselves seek our destruction? And Kerrigan… I can hardly believe… the wretched Queen of Blades will prevent the destruction of my kind and the Terrans of this Sector, as well as many other groups we do not even know of yet. Raynor, you may soon hold Kerrigan's fate in your hands. I know only that she must live. Be wary, old friend… the hounds of the Void are on the hunt." The recorded memories ended there.

* * *

_Bridge, Hyperion, September 31, 3868_

Raynor had left the lab without another word to anybody, besides dumping the new data discs the crystal had transcribed into Hanson's hands. He ended up on the Bridge, talking to Matt. "You look shaken, sir. What's wrong?"

"Zeratul called it a vision of the future. It was the end time, Matt, Armageddon. More Protoss than we ever knew existed, but there still weren't enough to stop the hybrid."

Horner frowned "But what about Kerrigan? Wasn't she supposed to stop them?"

Raynor closed his eyes "In this time-line she was dead, killed by…us. That's what Zeratul's been trying to tell us all along. She has to live or we're all doomed, this whole Sector plus a couple other Sectors, especially his people."

Swann had just entered the bridge before he notice Raynor and Matt there "Oh what the hell, cowboy, you look like crap. You been thinking about that girl again?"

"Kinda. I just got some bad news 'bout what might happen if we can't save her."

Swann waved it off "Bah, no use worrying about what might happen if you ask me. You want me to help, you just let me know."

* * *

_Laboratory, Hyperion, September 31, 3868_

"So that was it, guys, we can't kill Kerrigan; it's not doable if we want ourselves and this whole Sector to survive." Raynor had told his entire command crew the truth, they were surprised but understood, though Tychus had a deep worried frown, no one said anything against Raynor's conclusion.

"Damn, brother, you look like you could use a drink."

"Hey, Tosh's Spectre, you're back again?"

"Yeah, and I'm pretty sure this is going to be the last time, unless whatever higher power sent me back decided I need to drop more cool lines." The ghost…er, spectre, rolled his eyes.

"I saw the last vision Zeratul put into the crystal. It was a look into the future, a final battle against the hybrid, Armageddon. Somehow… Kerrigan's the key to preventing it."

"Who knows how the wheel turns? Cycles upon cycles. This much I know, those that see the future best take heed. It's both a gift…and a curse."

Raynor frowned "But is it cast in stone? That's what I need to know."

"Who knows? I've heard you say we are who we choose to be. If that be true, the future cannot be fixed."

"Well, I guess so… hey, I think your time's up for delivering cool lines." Raynor pointed at Tosh's watch.

The man looked down at the watch before shrugging "See ya later, brother, and thanks again. I wish you the best, farewell, James Raynor." He nodded curtly before dissipating.

"Gotta wonder what's next, eh, Tychus?" Raynor said.

"Yeah… it would be nice if you could find a way to get me out of this suit in the meantime… might help with stopping this apocalypse, you never know…" In reality, Tychus knew perfectly well what he was saying; he was hoping Jimmy would get the hint.

"Sorry, Tychus, we'll have to wait for Seth's crew to arrive first."

"Darn…" Tychus hoped Seth's crew arrived soon, either that or they found a way to dispose of Mengsk before he could send the kill codes to the hardware that the nanolathe had not removed for some reason, mainly because of the potential for immediate lethal damage to his organs…

* * *

A/N: As witnessed, each ARM of a Mothership is slightly longer than a CZAR. The central body is as wide as five CZARs put together. Motherships are absolutely huge ships, remember that. I feel that this way they might actually be believable, especially if I do what I'm planning to do…

Also, about Tosh's ghost, I mean spectre, all I can say is that his lines for these missions were way too cool not to have. I'm sorry if this seemed too short to anyone for four missions (on the other chapters, this many words was around 1.5 missions' worth or maybe 2).

I can't wait until Haven…

REVIEW!


	13. The Moebius Prince

A/N: RoyalTwinFangs, for the record, we've been seeing [the inside of] a Battlecruiser for how long now? LOL… So to actually answer your question, expect to see an encounter between the Hyperion and Typical BCs very soon… though no fire will be exchanged.

For the record I don't own a copy of SC 2, though I play it occasionally on a friend's computer. Protoss got shipments of modified Coalition Civilian Armour in the In Utter Darkness mission. I did say a fleet of Carriers (i.e. a few dozen at most) unleashed thousands (more specifically tens of thousands) of interceptors, do they sound as absurdly small as they are in-game? (also, Selendis had a larger class of carrier, just as Tassadar had) The plateau the Protoss used is many kilometres wide (except the highest part, which is only about 700 meters or something wide), and the Carrier Fleet were effectively crowding into the airspace! Any ship about to go down would throw its engines to max, point itself at a Zerg hive, and eject all the crew in escape pods. Finally, "the Brood Lord replaced the Swarm Guardian as the Zerg aerial artillery unit" according to SC 2 Lore, is that explanation enough?

As for the names, I could only remember one of the T3 Heavy Mobile Artilleries from the start, since the Serenity is the only one that can fire on the move. I will do my best to include titles, unless it turns the sentence into a run-on.

* * *

Chapter 13: The Moebius Prince

_Bridge, Hyperion, October 3, 3868_

"Well, let's watch the UNN broadcast." Matt suggested out of sheer boredom, the new Hyperion was so well-built and automated in maintenance that a quarter of the crew was on the extranet at any given time when not in combat operations.

The ticker was the first thing of note: "Tyrador tsunami caused by illegal waste dumping, officials reveal" was an item worthy of facepalming. "General Martin takes early retirement" was another point of interest, why would a General be allowed to retire during a war? Well, maybe he'd suffered major defeats, but even then… yeah, that was Mengsk's modus operandi alright.

"This is Donny Vermillion, live from UNN. Tonight, the Zerg invasion: the Battle So Far. The Terran Dominion is holding firm under Zerg aggression. Our industrial complex has stepped up production on all fronts, enlistment rates have risen within the penal system, and the Marine Corps is ready to get in the fight. The Zerg won't know what hit them!" The whole piece of shit was less useful than the ticker.

"Donny has there been any word on when we start pushing the aliens back?" Kate Lockwell questioned, the ticker rolling "Recent SAT1 reports 'no cause for alarm' say palace advisors".

"Kate, if I revealed that, I'd be giving away vital Dominion secrets."

Lockwell stared for a moment "You think the Zerg watch our broadcast?"

Donny stared at the camera "I know they do Kate. I know they do." He sounded vaguely demented to Raynor and co. "Kyla Velassi to stand trial for distributing controlled substances" was a funny ticker item, Raynor noted vaguely.

"Well, you heard it here first, folks. This is Kate Lockwell for UNN." Lockwell sounded like she was suspecting Donny to be insane by the way she spoke. Raynor, Tychus, and Matt were inclined to agree.

* * *

_Laboratory, Hyperion, October 4, 3868_

"So now we've sat around and done nothing for a few days…When are we supposed to hand these damn things over?" Well, that was assuming turning the Auditorium into a dance club for a night, a lot of Coalition vids, a prank war and an ACU simulation tournament over the last four days, other than the standard training regimen, counted as nothing.

"Well that's gonna be a bit tricky. I hear the Zerg have attacked the Moebius research center on Tyrador. I don't get it though. What's the Queen of Blades after? There are no artefacts there."

"If those eggheads can't hold out till we get there, we may never know. Upload the data to the star map. Looks like we've got ourselves a good ole fashioned rescue mission."

* * *

_High Orbit over Tyrador, Bridge, Hyperion, October 4, 3868_

"One of the first 'planned'" The Adjutant used air quotes "worlds of the old confederacy, Tyrador is famous for its centers of higher learning, its orderly streets, and its sanitary parks." The Adjutant let out a sarcastic huff, looking down at the heavily industrialized planet below.

"Seems your Queen of Blades figured out who's been paying us to snatch up all those artefacts." Tychus said, chewing on his Energy Bar Cigar for a moment before resuming. "Moebius' head- honcho, Dr. Narud, claims the Zerg are attacking his main Research Campus on Tyrador. He can't evacuate his people until all their artefact research is safe. Fucking bull if you ask me, he's just a typical mad scientist, won't give up his research even if it's his life on the line."

* * *

_Tyrador, October 4, 3868_

"Commander Raynor! Thanks the stars, you've come!" Doctor Narud's relieved face (in Raynor's opinion, the guy looked a bit like the Admiral stereotype) came up on-screen. "You had a sterling reputation as a Marshal many years ago and I know you'll do your best to help us."

Raynor waved it off, quickly establishing a base in the east end of the op area "Yeah well, that was all a long time ago, Doctor. Looks like you got one hell of a Zerg problem here. Where do you need us?"

"We're ready to evacuate, but none of the teams I sent to purge the Foundation data cores have reported back!" Raynor's first impression from that was _fucking mad scientist, more concerned with research than lives._ Before the man continued "I need you to destroy those cores before the Queen of Blades finds them and discovers the coordinates of the remaining artefacts! The fate of the entire Sector could hang in the balance!" _Oh, well okay then, that doesn't sound like he's as much of an ass as I'd thought…_

"Class twelve psi-pattern detected. Recommend extreme caution." The Adjutant reported.

Raynor's eyes narrowed "Kerrigan… Alright then Doc, our timetable's shorter than we thought. We gotta move!"

"Oh… so we only have to eliminate three buildings?" The man nodded "well that's good" Raynor cut the channel. "I'll just bombard them then." A volley of forty-eight Loa Tactical Missiles ripple-fired from the Hyperion, holding in high orbit, plummeting toward the ground and detonating in sequence to clear their way through the hordes of Mutalisks, Overlords and Overseers spiralling through the skies.

"What are you up to, Jim? I can sense you're trying to keep something from me." Kerrigan said as her Zerg tried to shoot down the speedy tactical missiles without much success, she was right; he was keeping the Coalition's existence from her. "You never could recognize a lost cause, could you Jim?" He knew what she was referring to, herself and his foolish quest to save her… but he couldn't help himself, so he was going with it.

"That Queen of Blades really is quite a nuisance, isn't she?" Narud commented, shaking his head as the string of explosions plummeted down through the atmosphere, tearing apart Zerg flyers in the way until the final missile of each series of sixteen impacted on the data cores and destroyed all of them almost simultaneously, before Kerrigan could get very far in her search pattern. "Confirmed, the final data-core has been destroyed! We should evacuate immediately!"

"No way in hell, Doctor, you sent soldiers and technicians into that goddamned campus, they haven't come out, we're headed in to find them. If you want to help us, we'll help ensure your goddamned transports actually get off Tyrador, the Hyperion can pull a lot of weight, you know."

"Alright, alright, I'm giving you control of our Medivacs, Commander. You can use them to transport your men around the city and avoid most of the Zerg." Four of the transports flew over and reported into the Raiders' base "Ready for dust off."

"The Raiders are here! We're saved!" The Moebius survivors that had stumbled into the Raiders' camp, running from the Zerg, fell to their knees and rejoiced as the Raiders' Perdition Turrets and Raiders in bunkers burned, shot, and killed the hundred or so Zerglings that had hounded them. Raynor sent them up to the Moebius evac ships right away via Hercules transport; they didn't need to see the awesome power of the Raiders.

"Over here! Up on the roof!" Someone shouted from across the lake to the southwest (A/N: Minor change to the map here). Raynor ordered his Raiders to use their LBRs' targeting sights and lasers to scan for the survivors across the four hundred meters of water

A Moebius Marine saw the red dots of the targeting lasers sweeping the buildings, as if searching for survivors "Hey! Hey! OVER HERE!" He shouted, setting his suit speakers to the max, waving one armoured hand while standing up on the rooftop the group of ragged survivors were cornered on.

One of his friends tried to pull him down "what are you doing? Those are sniper lasers!" the other man hissed at the Marine, who was standing and waving his arms, plus Gauss Rifle, around.

"Dude, if we don't get someone to help us, we're all dead anyways, the Zerg are going to get us eventually." The marine said before letting off a long burst into the sky, the barrel flashes attracting attention in the form of a massive freighter that blotted out the sun. Thirty-six Raiders dropped down from the Hercules, and they motioned the surviving Marines into the transport to be taken back to the Moebius evac ships. The only reason the Raiders didn't simply fly across the water (it would have been faster than boarding and leaving a transport) was because they didn't want to reveal their hand too early, though the large amount of weapons they sported already revealed part of the hand, none of the survivors had any clue as to what the weapons did.

The crew proceeded northwest, mowing down countless Zerg that tried and utterly failed to stand in their way. "Hey man! Could use some help down here!" a Moebius Marauder broadcast from a nearby rooftop to the northwest, followed by a Marine "Hey Raiders! Come pick us up!" They were beset by a group of Mutalisks that tried swarming the rooftop, only to utterly fail when the Raiders opened up in conjunction with the Electron Flak batteries mounted on the Hercules. Mutalisks are not extremely durable creatures; in fact, their leathery wings can even be torn up by sharp glass, hence the plasma and temporal distortions of Temporal Fizz Launchers, plus the massive electric discharges, ionization and shockwaves of Electron Flak ripped them to shreds with laughable ease.

"Whoa, you guys have some nice hardware there." The survivors observed before they boarded the massive freighter.

"You can't leave well enough alone, can you Jim? It was stupid of you to come here." Kerrigan sent, frowning.

Raynor snorted in his own transmission "I don't plan on staying long, darling. But I'll be damned before I let you get a hold of those survivors." He checked on his base where Raiders were lounging about in their bunkers, only bothering to get up when the guy who drew lookout spotted a Nydus Worm approaching. So far, they'd killed half a dozen without one Zerg warrior strain getting through the worms. They were bored to the point of debating whether they should let some Zerg warriors through simply to relieve boredom and make the Perdition Turrets something other than something you just walk into once in a while because they're invisible, you forgot where they were, and you turned off the Omni-HUD linkup. Raynor put an end to the debate soon enough, with "Hey, what's wrong with trying to set a record for which Bunker's crew can kill a Nydus Worm in the shortest time?"

On the road south of the data center, Raynor found another group of survivors holding a battered roadblock against sporadic Zerg patrols. They spotted the Raiders before Raynor, or the Raiders, said anything "Raynor's Raiders? Get us out of here!" one shouted, "We couldn't reach the data cores! Help us out!" another yelled back over his shoulder as he peppered another Zergling with Gauss Rifle fire.

The Raiders didn't say anything, merely taking positions along the roadblock and opening fire while the Marines scrambled onto the transport, which departed off toward home base while the Raiders chewed their way west through a horde of Zerg, finally reaching a lake, on the other side of which a rather huge Zerg signature rested.

"Brutalisk! Stetmann wanted another one of those things to research. I reckon we can oblige him." Raynor stated, the Raiders, looked at their newest orders and each other, shrugged, and fired up their quantum propulsion packs, boosting across the kilometre-wide stretch of water in under fifteen seconds and landing softly on the other side, spreading out to surround the Brutalisk where it was tearing into a building (A/N: No more virtual island, folks.)

They opened fire at the same time, the Brutalisk turning around slowly due to its huge bulk and the Temporal Fizzes that were establishing Chronotron dilation fields attached to its mass. The Nanodarts managed to tear it to death before it could inflict any injuries, simply by virtue of the Raiders taking to the air whenever the creature got close and dodging its spines by cloaking outside the creature's detection range.

The group of Raiders, now rejoined by the Hercules, moved west and curb-stomped myriad crawlers before spotting another group of survivors on a rooftop "Nice of you to drop by. I was running low on ammo."

A Moebius Marine spoke up before boarding the transport "Hey Raynor! We saw some movement over at Rob's Guns. There might be some survivors in there."

"Thanks for the tip, boys." Raynor responded, sending his Raiders southward in the direction the Marine had pointed. "Damn, this place is starting to remind me of Tarsonis when the Zerg attacked…"

The Raiders marched past alleyways where Zerglings had dragged corpses of civilians to feed, shooting the Zerglings so that the blood of killers stained their victims. Occasionally, Raiders would not bother firing on a Zergling, allowing it to get close enough to leap at the Raiders' helmet before grabbing it out of the air and tearing it limb from limb in fury. At least three of the newer Raiders were recorded, after witnessing the civilian bodies half-eaten in the streets, using chopped-off (by virtue of Gauss Chaingun fire) Hydralisk arms to gut Zerglings being held up by their necks and the Raiders' power armour. The older Raiders simply killed anything Zerg they saw.

"The Raiders are here! We're saved!" a bunch of Marines, holding the small building in the center of a plaza, with a broken, flickering and dangling sign above it that said "Rob's Guns" "Oh shit… Zerg attack wave coming from the south, this will be a big one, boys!" The Marine in charge shouted over the transmission, making the raiders boost the final stretch to the plaza, where Zerg were pouring in through every entrance. They used Nanodarts to blast down some of the buildings, slowing the flow somewhat, since even Zerg could not climb up vertical surfaces quickly, before switching to Gauss Chainguns for mass fire.

"Marines, we are leaving!" The lead Raider announced as the sky darkened, a massive shadow falling over the survivors and Raiders. The towering bulk of the Hercules Transport had arrived over the plaza and lowered its extendable main cargo elevator, which everyone hopped onto, still laying down fire on the Zerg forces as the elevator retracted before the massive transport flew off. Other similarly massive transports had picked up all the structures back at Raynor's base, after they had been packed up, of course.

"Poor, poor Jim. You can't stop me. No one can!" Kerrigan sneered before Raynor closed the channel on her.

He opened a channel to the Doctor's ship "Alright, Doctor, you want to tell me why the Queen of Blades wants these artefacts so damn bad?"

"She fears their power - just as she fears the Xel'Naga who created them. The Xel'Naga created both the Protoss and the Zerg, Commander. They were the gods of their time."

"Huh, well, we'll see about that sometime." Raynor snorted.

* * *

_New Gettysburg, Tarsonis, Four Years before Present_

Sarah Kerrigan, cloaked, ran through the desolate, dusty streets of New Gettysburg, she made no sound as she moved, and left little other than a slight shimmer in the air easily mistakable for heat from the ground. She'd just barely made it behind a ruined wall as her suit's energy ran out. She pressed two fingers to her comm. "This is Kerrigan. We neutralized the Protoss, but there is a wave of Zerg advancing on this position. We need immediate evac."

* * *

_High Orbit over Tarsonis, Four Years before Present_

"Belay that order. We're moving out." Arcturus Mengsk ordered, looking out a viewport to the ravaged planet below.

"What? You're not just gonna leave 'em?" Jim Raynor asked from a transmission screen, only to be utterly ignored.

"All ships prepare to move away from Tarsonis at my mark." Mengsk looked at his wristwatch as his new flagship moved with the rest of the ships owned by the Sons of Korhal, all but for his old flagship, the Hyperion.

* * *

Kerrigan swung her rifle around the corner of the wall and shot three Zerglings in quick succession, using three of her last bullets. A Hydralisk landed in front of her and swung its scythes at her, she barely dodged, putting a round through the monstrous creature's mouth into its head before her rifle clicked empty. The carcass of the Hydralisk fell to the ground with a dull thump.

"Ah, boys, how about that evac?" Sarah asked, pressing her hand to her earpiece again to make sure she could catch whatever they said

* * *

"Damn you, Arcturus. Don't to this." Raynor growled through gritted teeth.

Arcturus Mengsk didn't even bother turning from the window "It's done. Helmsman, signal the fleet and take us out of orbit. Now!"

* * *

"Commander? Jim? What the hell is going on out there?" Sarah Kerrigan looked toward the direction of a sound, seeing a solid wave of red contacts, she took off her visor slowly. A purple tide of carapaced backs was charging toward her, without ammunition, she didn't have a chance in hell… Her rifle dropped from limp, hopeless fingers as she looked toward the sky, seeing the countless Mutalisks spiralling overhead where only hours ago Wraiths under her command had proudly flown. She let her eyes close, silently waiting for the tearing of Zerg claws ripping into her flesh, savouring a final moment of sudden, eerie calm before the Swarm would be upon her.

* * *

_Cantina, Hyperion, October 7, 3868_

Raynor suddenly jerked awake from his sleep in the room that counted as part of the Mess Hall, but with alcohol, a bar, and music. His sudden movement knocked over a bottle of Meinhoff Vodka, which was caught by Matt Horner. He reached for it, and after a brief tug-of-war, Matt shook his head sadly and let go.

"I've been cleaning up after you a lot, but I thought you were past this ever since we met up with Seth…" Horner let the sentence hang.

Raynor waved it off "Leave it alone, Matt."

"Same dream?" Matt pulled over a chair to sit on.

"I said leave it alone."

"What happened to Kerrigan wasn't your fault…"

Raynor snorted "Which part? Where she got left behind, or where she murdered eight billion people."

"Same old bullshit, you aren't going to listen." Matt took out Raynor's old Confederate Marshal Badge and slid it across the table to Raynor, shaking his head and standing up, turning his back to Raynor "Man, do you even see what you're becoming?"

"We are who we choose to be, Matt."

Horner looked over his shoulder at Raynor, still seated at the bar table "When you figure it out let us know. We're waiting on ya." He walked out as Raynor looked down at his badge.

A few minutes later, Tychus came in from the mess hall, he waited until Raynor bothered noticing him before speaking "I been thinking about Tyrador, and you know… there's gotta be better ways to make a fast buck than diving headlong into an alien invasion."

"If it gets too hairy for ya, just try and think of the money." Raynor looked back at his badge.

Tychus got the message, patting Raynor on the back as he left "I'm trying, old buddy. I'm trying real hard." The blue-armoured ex-convict stepped heavily out of the cantina, his Raider armour clunking against the floor.

Raynor sat there, alone, contemplating the emptiness of his existence. It was a distinct change from the happy mood he'd been in for that past couple weeks ever since Korhal. It wasn't a fun change either, brought back bad memories of the desperate days before meeting the 4th Hunter Squadron…

* * *

_Laboratory, Hyperion, October 7, 3868_

"I don't like them artefacts. Machinery I understand, weapons, no problem. Those artefacts... they're like magic or something." Swann muttered and waved his bio-synthetic fusion right arm at the artefact, he'd gotten it because it was less horrific than that pincer he had before. Raynor wasn't paying attention, much to Swann's satisfaction, he was talking to Hanson.

"Lot of rumours going around, I'm guessing you've heard plenty about me and Kerrigan by now…"

"Are the stories true? That Mengsk just… abandoned her to the Zerg on Tarsonis?"

Raynor looked down at the console Hanson stood in front of for a moment "Her…plus a few billion innocent civilians. After that we knew exactly what kind of man we'd been dealing with. I don't care about much of anything anymore, but the one thing I hold onto is seeing Mengsk brought to justice before I die." Raynor made a fist.

They watched the UNN broadcast, the three of them. The ticker read "Tyrador clean-up operation in full swing" and "2nd fleet regroups at Dylarian shipyards" as Kate Lockwell spoke "Kate Lockwell for UNN. The elusive Queen of Blades was spotted on Tyrador recently. Dr. Emil Narud head of the renowned Moebius Foundation, had a run-in with the alien queen, but is currently unavailable for comment."

"Palace advisors say rationing to be extended to utility items" was an irritating ticker item, soon, the Dominion would not be rationing or oppressing anyone again, for it would be gone. Lockwell ploughed on "In a statement, Dr. Narud credited Raynor's Raiders with keeping the Queen of Blades from achieving her…" she was cut off by Donny Vermillion.

"Kate, I'm sorry to interrupt, but we have a breaking story…apparently…um…go to… go to… commercial. Please, commercial." Raynor laughed as the ticker read "Prince Valerian to take part in naval operations", and then said his goodbyes to the lab crew after discussing a few upgrades.

* * *

_Bridge, Hyperion, October 7, 3868_

Matt saluted as Raynor entered the bridge "Good see you, sir. All available missions are ready for your perusal on the star map."

Raynor bit his lip "Matt…I…Hell, just thanks, I guess."

Tychus came in the bridge door "Jimmy, I just got an urgent transmission from them Moebius boys. Moebius have got themselves set up again since the Zerg chased 'em outta their old place. They say they've worked out where to find another artefact, lovely little place called Typhon XI."

"Alright, Adjutant, got some data for me?"

"This remote world is part of an extremely old system, as indicated by its in increasingly unstable sun. This, combined with sparse mineral deposits, has always made Typhon a hard candidate for colonization. Nonetheless, a significant Tal'darim expeditionary force is present."

"Huh, sounds like we better get in soon, or the Tal'darim are gonna reinforce themselves, and that's gonna make things much harder for us, also, that unstable sun sounds kinds ominous… Set course for Typhon XI, we jump in one minute!"

After a minute, the Hyperion disappeared in a flash of light and reappeared near Typhon XI "There she is, planet Typhon. Don't look so bad." Tychus gestured toward the holographic projection.

"Yep, sensors indicate… what the fuck was that? The star's energy output just jumped five hundred percent! I've never seen anything like it!"

Raynor held up a hand as the Hyperion began orbital insertion "Slow down, Matt. What's it mean?"

"It means the star will go nova in a few hours." Horner deadpanned. "Meantime the planet's getting bombarded by waves of fire…"

Raynor groaned and rubbed his forehead "Fire. Why does it always have to be fire…"

"The good news is, all our buildings can be packed up and moved by RCVs." (Raider SCVs) "So we aren't gonna lose anything to the fire wave slowly baking its way across the operation area, which is slowly turning away from the sun so the burn is slow anyways."

"Well, that's something. So where's our artefact?"

"Right there, smack dab in the middle of all them Protoss…" Tychus had gotten a feed from a Spook Spy Plane Seth's ships had delivered to the Hyperion over the last couple days, and he was pointing right in the middle of a rather sizeable Protoss base.

"We can clear an LZ with the Hyperion, but I don't want to risk detonating too many Loa missiles too close to the Artefact, the electron-based payloads might damage it."

"You're not seriously going down there?"

"C'mon partner, we got hours 'till that sun explodes!" Raynor fake-whined, gesturing toward the strategic interface.

Tychus sighed before nodding "Well let's grab that artefact and get outta here before your Queen of Blades shows up looking for it."

* * *

COALITION MILITARY CODEX: TYCHUS FINDLAY'S ENERGY BAR CIGARS/CIGARETTES

Energy Bar Cigars/Cigarettes are a revolutionary concept introduced by ex-convict Tychus Findlay, affiliated with Raynor's Raiders as one of the researchers and Raider Infantrymen of the group. These cigars are, according to Findlay, designed to "clean your lungs, refresh your breath, make you smell nice, and let you kick ass while keeping your energy and coolness levels up." They are very popular among those in the Raiders that smoke, and Findlay has stated he will start marketing them and start up a business as soon as he can get the relevant patents through.

The Cigar is comprised of two portions, the far end, which fluoresces orange and gives off the scent of various plant extracts (mostly peppermint and spearmint), and the actual energy bar. The fluorescence is perfectly harmless and is the result of proteins being excited by UV light before dropping back to standard conformations. The entire Cigar/Cigarette is edible and according to most users actually quite tasty, despite its main purpose as an energy bar and coolness booster.

The Cigars/Cigarettes come in various flavours and types, the most popular being the standard Chewy Granola Bar, made of rice puffs made from enriched corn flour in the center, baked to stay together, wrapped in a bundle roll made of rolled oats that have been made into mats. These rolled oat wrappers incorporating many essential nutrients that are lost in large amounts during strenuous exercise by using a solution/glaze of them to soak into the oats and make them pliable enough to roll up. The whole thing is bound together by a non-stick layer of rice paper which adheres to the oat layer and will dissolve upon entry into a wet environment, such as the mouth. The glaze is reported to be quite good, despite the number of different nutrients included. Other flavours include beef jerky, which is made from slivers of beef muscle fibre lined up in the direction of the airflow through the cigarette, wrapped in cured jerky on the outside, with a layer of rice-paper keeping external scents from infiltrating, chocolate chip (self-explanatory), etc.

The fluorescent end of the Cigar/Cigarette contains not only the fluorescing materials (all of which are easily digestible) but also a small amount of the volatile plat oils which can either be breathed in to provide a stim pack-like effect on the nervous system, though without the inherent downsides of the drugs, or allowed to waft out, sweetening the surrounding air. Once the rest of the Cigar/Cigarette has been consumed, this section is able to function as a breath mint, though it is brittle and thus cannot function as gum. It is capable of providing fresh breath and promoting healthier teeth by virtue of its composition. Small amounts of calcium, phosphate and fluorine ions are included, along with trace amounts of Strontium ions, this promotes re-mineralization of teeth despite chewing on sweet or high-sugar products (the Energy Bar portion of the cigar/cigarette) for significant periods of time.

Overall, one can come to the conclusion that Tychus Findlay, being the innovator and fighter that he is, when sitting bored in jail, can come up with pretty damn good stuff.

END OF CODEX ENTRY

FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE GO TO "TYCHUS FINDLAY", "RAYNOR'S RAIDERS", ETC.

* * *

A/N: Was going to end the chapter here but it was too short… by my standards.

* * *

_High Orbit over Typhon XI, October 7, 3868_

"Hope you brought your sun-screen, cowboy." Swann called from the Armoury.

Raynor frowned "Now isn't the time, Swann."

The engineer waved it off "Relax, hotshot. I got something useful for ya, just found the relevant codes to adapt the programming on the Nanodart Launchers on our Wraiths; they can target ground targets now if you toggle them or if no air units are around, like other Nanodart-equipped units. These babies can blow the snot outta ground forces, and they've kept the cloaking too, gotta love that!"

The group of Wraiths, carried on the Hyperion, descended toward Typhon XI in a cloaked infiltration squad to establish an LZ. "Whoa! Careful of those Protoss cannons! They can detect our Wraiths even when they're cloaked…" Raynor had used the light pulse lasers (approximately fifteen times as intense in power output, 21 DPS, as that of the original Wraith pulse laser, which was effectively a 2 DPS weapon) and Nanodart Launchers, all of which slightly outranged Photon Cannon detection ranges, and circling tactics to blow the Photon Cannons that had guarded the southwest base site to scrap. He sent down pre-packaged Command Center, Factory, Starport, Refinery and Barracks structures before dropping off a crew of RCVs to chop up the minerals into blocks for storage on the Hercules freighters. Those mineral blocks had proven useful time and time again over the past year or so in paying off mercenaries and pirate groups to win their allegiance, same with the gas from the Ultra-Refineries. Raynor usually referred to them simply as Refineries unless he actually decided to make them fly to a new site or pack themselves up, which wasn't that often.

"James Raynor! We anticipated your arrival! Now you will pay for desecrating our holy relics!"

"Oh hell, not these Tal'darim guys again. They seriously need to learn when to quit." Raynor groaned before noting the Tal'darim resource base to the northwest of his own, closest to the approaching wave of fire. He didn't want to risk affecting the artefact, but it was definitely a worthy target for Loa bombardment…

One volley later, another crew of 25 RCVs were busily hacking up the minerals at the northwest base and dumping them into waiting Hercules transports, after all, who knew when they'd need the minerals to build, say, Battlecruisers in the field? "The Tal'darim outpost to the east would make an excellent location to move our base to, we just need to clear them out and take possession."

A crew of Raiders supported by Siege Tanks and a couple of Thors (Tychus didn't want his Odin to get its paint burnt up) were chewing their way through the other Protoss in the area, snatching up three relics and finding two more base areas. These were colonized by RCVs and Hercules Freighters and secured by growing numbers of re-assembled (when not in use, the parts are disassembled and packaged to save space) Wraiths patrolling the skies and land. They were north and south of the Protoss base in the center of the op area, so Raynor kept an eye on them as his troops began, using mobile artillery i.e. the Siege Tanks, which unlike their original counterparts could still move while using their artillery.

The northwest base's Minerals had been packed up, so Raynor moved those RCVs and the Hercules over to the northern resource patch while sending in an Ultra-Refinery to vacuum up as much of the vespene as possible. These Refineries were not only able to fly/pack, they could also be dropped from orbit, and featured some "light" defensive weapons i.e. a Gauss Chaingun Turret, containing two Gauss Chainguns, good against land and air. Oh, and they were also rather extensively armoured. Raynor queued more for drop at the other vespene geysers, noting the absurd slowness of the fire creeping in from the west.

A Colossus appearing at the Tal'darim base in the middle of the Op area caused some consternation, but it was no match for the two Thors, rather large number of Siege Tanks, and Raiders flitting about it in the air like gnats… though it did manage to severely damage a Thor and later incinerate half a dozen Siege Tanks once it collapsed on its side, with just one of its weapons till functioning. The rest of the central base was a cakewalk after that, the Immortals and Photon Cannons posing no real threat to the Raiders' units and soldiers.

"The Tal'darim base has been cleared, that should buy us a little elbow room." Horner noted with satisfaction as the minerals at their original base site finished being sucked up and they lifted all the buildings and moved them over. Nothing was left behind except the Refineries still harvesting vespene gas. The stuff sure had come in useful during Armoury experiments…

"Our warriors' sacrifice was not in vain! We gladly march towards death to ensure your doom!" the Tal'darim Executor shook his fist at Raynor, who snorted and rolled his eyes, rallying most of his Wraiths to go blow the northern Protoss base, northwest of the artefact and northeast of his newly acquired resource area, to pieces while he colonized the resource position directly southwest of it. He found that it was time to move the Refinery from his northwest base, so he flew it over to the new geyser. Raynor's army in the meantime headed southeast, supplemented by some more Siege Tanks and another Thor, as the damaged one was kept back for repairs.

Needless to say, without even a single Colossus to fight them with, the southern base went down without further incident, while the northern base was reduced to scrap by Nanodart and Light Pulse Laser fire. Raynor sent down more Hercules transports and RCVs, plus Refineries, to gather up the resources left by the Protoss. "Ya gotta wonder why they said Typhon XI has low mineral levels… wait, never mind." If the mineral deposits had been larger, his RCVs couldn't have cut them down quite that fast… right.

After moving his original base's Refineries over to the base south of his new main base, and sending down some RCVs to start hacking away at the minerals, Raynor decided to launch a two-prong attack, air and land, from both directions on the Artefact Base as he called it now. On the way, he picked up another relic with his land army. The Protoss fought tooth and nail, bringing in more units by Warp Prism, but in the end, once the Wraiths took care of the reinforcement flow by virtue of Nanodarts, they ransacked the base rather easily, before the wave of fire was even done with Raynor's original base site (he moved the other resource sites' gatherers and transports out as soon as they were finished mining the paltry mineral deposits). Finally, Raynor ordered all his units to focus fire on the Artefact Vault, laying waste to the structure in short order, though the final, delicate "whittling" was done by Raider weapons, since they didn't want to risk damaging the Artefact.

"You have prevailed for now. Word of this sacrilege will echo across the stars, James Raynor. The day of reckoning draws near!"

"Ok the artefact's secure! Saddle up people! We're out of here!"

"We will pursue you to the end of the universe, James Raynor! A thousand deaths cannot atone for your wanton sacrilege!"

"We'll see about that, I have a feeling your Tal'darim will be giving those deaths though, have fun!" Raynor abruptly cut the transmission with a grin.

* * *

_Moebius Rendezvous Point, October 9, 3868, 21:00 Hyperion Shipboard Time_

The Hyperion exited subspace with a simple ripple and a small shockwave "Sir, we've reached the rendezvous coordinates. No contacts. Looks like the Moebius ship hasn't arrived yet."

Raynor frowned "That's strange. It's not like them to be late." The frown deepened and he hit the PA "All crew to Alert Stations." In Battle Stations, the ship would extend all its disguised, Coalition-derived weapons. At Alert Stations, it was ready to do so, the Sonance capacitors were charged, at least, and as usual its Ravagers, Zealots, Electron Flak and Loa Tactical Missile Racks were in readiness. The Raiders would also suit up, be it in actual Raider armour or Coalition Armour, be it Civilian or Marine, rated for vacuum and zero-gee combat respectively, that was to conduct any boarding actions, since like all Coalition tech warships structural fields along with too many Ravagers and Zealots made boarding impossible.

Five Battlecruisers suddenly appeared on the star console, in close proximity to the Hyperion, facing the ship from quite a distance away. "Sir! Dominion ships warping in! Mengsk's flagship is leading them!" the central Battlecruiser showed a tag with the name "Bucephalus", Raynor glared at the nametag.

"Sweet mother of mercy." Tychus Findlay said slowly from where he stood on the bridge.

Raynor examined the Gauss SMG he'd had on his belt before standing up and slotting it into his holster. Matt noticed something "Sir, their shields are still down. I don't like this."

"Matt, pull us alongside and prep boarding tubes!" Raynor had stood up and walked off toward the bridge door.

"Commander, this is not a smart move."

"What do you suggest, Matt? That we open fire with the Sonance, Heavy Oblivion Cannons, Heavy Microwave Lasers and everything else? I want Mengsk to know who killed him face to face…" Raynor grew quiet all of a sudden, talking to the ground, with his back to the bridge, halfway out the door "unlike how he killed Sarah…" he whispered as if to himself as the bridge doors closed behind him.

"You wanted your revolution, kid. Now ya got it." Tychus slapped Horner on the back as he walked out after Jim.

* * *

_Bucephalus, October 9, 3868_

The boarding tube hewed its way through the hull of the Bucephalus and breached the hull after smelting away part of the armour. The material between the smelted ring simply… vanished, reclaimed to reinforce the boarding tube. The Dominion Marines waiting around to intercept the boarding team were still gaping when a Temporal Fizz went off among them, making the world around them seem to be moving very fast. In reality, they were the ones slowed down, while the Raiders ran into the hold, firing their Gauss Chainguns as they charged past the suddenly perforated Dominion Marines into the rest of the ship.

Tychus and Raynor were the first one through, heading directly for the observation dome, where they expected Mengsk to be. The other Raiders spread throughout the ship from where they surged in, moving in pairs. The massive cargo bay was a fine place for the firefight that started as soon as three pairs of Raiders reached it. Reapers were darting between the catwalks, using their pistols and charges against the Raiders, who similarly took to the air, using cloaking and Temporal Fizzes to slow down and swat down the Reapers one after another. Ghosts proved no problem, as the Raiders' Omni could detect them at closer ranges and their Laser Battle Rifles in sniper mode were far more powerful than the C-10 Canister (Anti-Materiel) Rifles used by the Ghosts. Marauders, Firebats and Marines were terminated with almost ridiculous ease from the catwalks the raiders had taken possession of. The ease of the firefight was mostly due to the powerful over-shields and personal shields of the Raiders protecting them.

Raynor, on the other hand, was fifteen decks above the cargo bay with Tychus, facing down a hall nearly full of Dominion Marines hidden in doorways on either side of the hall. With an exchange of hand signals the two cloaked, palming grenades, and boosted down the hall, shoving Electron Grenades into each doorway they passed. The resulting string of detonations shook the deck and cleared out the entire hallway behind Raynor and Tychus, who cut down a squad of Dominion Marines that were charging their position, firing first randomly, then, once the ripple of Aeon shielding taking a hit was seen, focusing on the two's shields. They didn't get to do much as Raynor and Tychus tore through them with their Gauss Chainguns before de-cloaking, knowing it was rather pointless by now.

Throughout the Bucephalus, Dominion soldiers met the attacking Raiders, and died. The battle to take the Battlecruiser was almost absurdly easy for the Raiders, none were even severely injured, and those few injured were all fixed by a simple dose of medi-gel injected by the armour. Within twenty minutes of the boarding, the ship was under the Raiders' control, but still, the Dominion Battlecruisers did nothing against the Hyperion, nor did they send transports of reinforcements to the Bucephalus… It was odd, but Raynor was far past caring about that… besides, if Mengsk was on here, those actions would be normal, since they wouldn't want to risk harming their Emperor… too badly. If things did not go well, they could always have the Hyperion quantum jump, with all attached objects, i.e. this ship.

Raynor raised his Infantry Nanodart Launcher and blew in the door to the observation room, along with blowing a large dent in the walls on either side of the hall. He walked in to find a man looking out the window, his back to Raynor and the door, he let the Gauss Chaingun he'd just lifted fall to his side and pulled his Gauss SMG from his holster, pointing it at the man. "Turn around, Arcturus! I want you to see this coming." He said, keeping his armour sealed and visor down, just in case the man tried something.

The man shook his head "You won't find my father here, Commander. I am Valerian Mengsk, and I own the Moebius Foundation…" Valerian turned around slowly, showing he was unarmed "through them, I own you as well."

Raynor snorted. _You really overestimate the amount of impact your paltry pay has on the Raiders, eh? Sorry man, but we've got the Coalition's tech backing us, and we have a freaking fleet of mobile banks back at the Hyperion's last location, along with a whole shitload of smaller warships…_ he thought "Tell me why I shouldn't kill you right now…"

"Because I can offer you what you've always wanted: a chance to rescue Sarah Kerrigan." Raynor raised an eyebrow behind his visor. "The artefact fragments you've been collecting are of Xel'Naga origin. With them, I can construct a device that will reverse the infestation that transformed Kerrigan into the Queen of Blades. You're the only man who's been close to her and lived to tell the tale. You know her tactics, you know her strategies, and I know you'd risk anything for the chance to bring her back."

Horner had by this point joined them in the conversation over Raynor's comm. "Sir, tell me you're not seriously considering this deal with Valerian!"

Tychus shrugged from where he was, Gauss Chaingun still pointed at Valerian "Sounds like a golden deal to me, Jimmy. Kerrigan turns human, takes a bullet between the eyes…You can put your past to rest and still make one hell of a payday!" He winked over the helmet holo, going with Raynor's ploy.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves, Tychus…" He winked at Horner over the comm.

Horner nodded his head slightly in understanding with a huge frown "Assaulting Char is a suicide mission! You'd be putting all our lives on the line just to get your girlfriend back!"

"This is bigger than all of us, Matt! It isn't about me. This is the only real chance we're ever gonna' get, and I'm taking it." He put his gun back in its holster.

Tychus did the same before asking "So which is it gonna be, Jimmy? We bringing Kerrigan back… or putting her in the ground?"

"That's for me to decide. You've both got a lot of prep work to do, get to it! By the way, Prince, sorry for killing every bit of resistance on your ship, have fun finding a new crew. I don't need you to hang around me, just tell me where those artefacts are and I'll give you a call when I'm ready to attack Char."

When they were in the hall, and after Raynor had turned off his external speakers, Tychus asked him "Are you sure about this? You gotta know Mengsk is gunning for ya. He'll hit you in a way you'll never see coming." Tychus was mostly worried about what he'd end up choosing if Seth's lot didn't turn up soon, would he choose himself or his best mate?

Raynor snorted "I can handle Mengsk, Tychus."

Tychus frowned "Just watch your back, ole buddy. That's all I'm asking"

Raynor huffed "I said I can handle it! If you don't want to be a part of this, you can take your seventy percent of the Artefact fees and go."

"Wait, what do you mean seventy percent? And also, I'm with you to the end, you should know that, Jimmy!" Tychus waved his arms about as they passed halls filled with Dominion corpses and the still-mobile members of the Bucephalus' crew carting away those still alive, the few remaining medics doing as much as they could.

"Back when I said seventy-thirty, I was thinking the other way, then I realized that buying up the old ships that come on the market really didn't match up to the amount of minerals and gas we were selling, so I've got a money problem… can't get rid of it fast enough."

"Wow, Jimmy, well, you could probably keep a lot of mercs on your side for the big showdown with Mengsk, eh?"

"Yeah, I hope so."

* * *

_Laboratory, Hyperion, October 9, 3868_

Ariel Hanson approached Jim as soon as he entered the lab "Jim, I hear that we're working for the Dominion now. Is that true?" Hanson bit her lip nervously, as she knew what the Dominion was capable of only all too well.

"We've got a chance to take on Kerrigan and maybe, just maybe, set things right. The devil himself could offer me that deal and I'd still take it." Raynor said gravely. She could tell he was absolutely serious about what he was saying.

"That's what worries me. Just don't lose sight of who you are - that's what's important. A lot of people are counting on you and…I'm one of 'em." Tychus, Swann and Horner had cornered her once and tried to beg her to simply confess, that was about as close as she would likely get. She knew perfectly well why Jim's friends wanted her to get together with Jim, she would be a distraction from the matter of Kerrigan, but she also knew something else, as well as those three did. She had read enough trashy romance novels to know some characteristic symptoms of a man so in love he himself was blind to it, Raynor was displaying effectively EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM plus MORE. Hence she knew that even if she made a bid for him and he stayed with her, she would never truly have him, for someone else had already completely claimed his soul.

The conversation turned to the artefacts after a long awkward silence "Valerian reckons this thing can…de-zergify Kerrigan once it's rebuilt. Do you think that's even possible?"

"From what I've managed to piece together, it might be. The artefact seems to absorb Protoss energy. If the same holds true for Zerg…"

"Just yes or no, Ariel, I need an answer!" It was the first time Hanson had witnessed Jim snapping at anyone.

She frowned and snapped back "If I said 'no' would you even believe me? The only person that can really know what the artefact does is the one who made it, and they're long gone…I hope." In reality, they weren't, but she didn't know that.

Raynor frowned so hard Hanson could have sworn his eyebrows had ground into each other with a screech of tearing metal "Sorry for snapping, Doc." He said after a moment "I… I should go." He moved away, towards Stetmann "So these artefacts are the key to freeing Kerrigan… pretty amazing coincidence, Tychus just showing up out of the blue, offering us the job to collect these damn things."

"Statistically, sir, the probability of coincidence is miniscule. However, these artefacts do represent a power beyond our current scientific understanding. If anything other than Coalition hardware could the give the Queen of Blades pause, perhaps these are it?"

"All this… ancient alien hocus-pocus is a little outta my pay scale. I just pray that when the time comes…these things bring her back to me." Stetmann stared, okay, his Commander was in deeper than he realized…

On the other side of the room, Hanson barely stopped herself from squealing like a schoolgirl and "Aw"-ing all over this new revelation, it was so freaking adorable it wasn't even funny… no wonder all the women Raynor met and actually interacted with seemed to fall for him, the cuteness level was off the charts, and that rugged look and relaxed demeanour was enough to make most woman fell like they were melting into a puddle of goo in his presence. Well, the best thing was, the women who actually got interested in him, were NOT the type to melt, they were the type that kept their wits, and that, sadly, made him all the more interesting.

Rory Swann thumped his way into the lab in a huff, stabbing Raynor in the chest with one cybernetic finger (index finger) of a cybernetic arm "You… you…" The stout man huffed as he pointed at Raynor, nostrils flaring and arms shaking violently.

Raynor leaned back slightly before tilting an eyebrow "So…what's the problem, Swann?"

"What's the problem?" Swann threw his hands up in exasperation "You only signed us up with our mortal enemies!" His real arm gestured (with exactly one finger) to one wall vaguely in the direction of the Bucephalus while his left, cybernetic arm motioned around them, as if to encompass the whole of the Hyperion "Every one of these boys lost family or friends to Mengsk! We're gonna be sitting on a powder keg pretty soon." He brought both hands down in a chopping motion, pointing at the floor with all ten fingers "Can't you see that?" Swann did a head-tilt to enforce his point, looking up at Raynor.

Raynor sighed "It isn't up for discussion, Swann. I gotta do this."

"I… I guess I can understand, Jim." Swann deflated "I only hope the rest of the boys can… though I hear the female half of the crew got all real misty-eyed at the whole 'save your girlfriend at the cost of your soul' thing, they'll probably back you if you can explain thing swell enough, though I hear they say you're ready to turn around and finish Mengsk anytime he tried turning on ya."

* * *

_Bridge, Hyperion, October 9, 3868_

"Sir, I have to question your objectivity on this alliance. It's obviously a trap!"

Raynor held his hands up in a placating gesture "I got it covered, Matt. I'm asking you to trust me."

Horner waved at the stars outside the holographic view ports "We were starting to make real progress against Mengsk. If we go after the Queen of Blades, we're throwing that away!"

"This is bigger than Mengsk. Matt, if we succeed on Char, we'll save billions of lives. Billions! Mengsk can wait… remember that briefing on the Ihan crystal I gave you and the crew? I'm going for another one to explain this new mess; it has a lot to do with that…"

"Oh… damn your hero complex." Matt snorted "You're going to save your girlfriend and the world… Why did I ever sign up for this?"

"You are the only one who can answer that, Matt…" Matt's station beeped from where Raynor's view didn't quite reach.

After a moment of looking at the signal, Matt decided to answer Raynor "Sir, We're receiving a transmission from the Bucephalus. Prince Valerian's holding on the communicator for you."

"Ah, Commander Raynor, I thought we might discuss the expedition to Char. Now—"

Raynor set his jaw and frowned "This is a dangerous game you're playing, kid. What's your stake in all this?"

"Jim. I really think we should…" Raynor clicked off his transmitter, though Valerian kept transmitting "I can see why my father wants to kill you." Valerian said in irritation.

"Everyone wonders if I will be as good an emperor, or, after the latest revelations, as bad as my father. But I want something more, to prove that I will be a better emperor, and a better man."

Raynor snorted "That shouldn't be hard."

"If I reform the worst mass murderer in history, make her human again…teamed with the famous outlaw Jim Raynor…it's all the proof I'll need."

Raynor nodded "So I'm just a cog in your machine." As soon as the Coalition arrives, mister, you're gone, no doubt about it, as long as the artefact has been assembled and is ready for use, you're not coming with us, however, Warfield would be nice to have along to help out…

"If it gets you what you want, do you care?"

Raynor nodded "Guess I don't." He closed the channel and turned around to almost walk into Matt.

"Sir, there's a new UNN transmission that the comm. officers thought might seem a bit off…"

"Bring it up, Matt." Raynor said, sitting down in his command chair.

The ticker was the first thing of note. "Zerg advance slows" was good news overall, and "General Warfield credited with successful Zerg strategy" wasn't entirely false. Warfield was an excellent strategist and tactician, so he could pull some real weight in a fight.

"This is Kate Lockwell for UNN. Tonight, top Dominion military analysts are still confused—and relieved—to report that while attacks do continue throughout the fringe, the main Zerg push into Dominion space seems to have slowed." The reporter stated.

Vermillion's not-so-annoying face (after he revealed he'd lost a brother on Tarsonis, the Raiders collectively found his visage distinctly less revolting) appeared "That's wonderful news Kate. Our boys have really taken the fight to the Zerg!"

The ticker rolled "Kyla Velassi released from jail to entertain troops" was a LMFAO moment, but "Dominion security: Raynor's rebellion still a threat" most certainly was not.

Lockwell came on again "Of course, Donny. But there's also a sense that whatever the Zerg were after... they either got it, or they've given up on it. We may never know."

"You heard it here first." The transmission had cut after that, as the comm. officers had agreed the rest was useless in terms of urgent perusal. Of course, Raynor still received anything that could even be remotely considered interesting, but he usually skimmed through it every day before going to bed. Some of the comm. officers had wondered if having them select the most urgent parts would be a good idea, but Raynor had faith in them, besides, Matt was there.

"Do you have a feeling that something big's on its way, Matt?"

"Yes, something from within the ship itself… or maybe… Seth?"

The Seraphim patched through the quantum communications array "Friend Raynor, those ships… are they Terran Dominion ships?"

"Don't destroy them just yet, there is something urgent we must discuss first… after we get away from here." Raynor stated, "Please hold, Seth, if you can, I'll contact you soon, on this channel?"

The Seraphim nodded "No problem, take all the time you need, just wanted to say that my Hunter Squadron along with Thalia, Dominic and Ivan are ready to join you again… we just had to baby-sit some refugees, but that's another story." The channel winked off.

* * *

A/N: Would anyone like me to write a special "short" (maybe 20-30K words?) feature on the Last Stand of the Firstborn in more detail? It'll probably be only a couple or three chapters long, featuring the stages of the defence and battle, ending with the Coalition cavalry arriving and saving the day. (NOTE: The Overmind did not see all… I'll leave it at that, since I'm a sucker for at least semi-happy endings.)

Also, I believe I have found a successful way of doing both Haven missions one after the other. For the record, semi-happy endings have 100% main character survival rates… that'll be difficult to spin… but I like a challenge.


	14. Haven

A/N: Sorry, not keeping the Viking, who needs it now anyways? ACU warfare is so much more badass and powerful.

* * *

Chapter 14: Haven

_Bridge, Hyperion, October 9, 3868_

"Jim!" Ariel Hanson had come up to the bridge, a rare occurrence aboard the Hyperion, which had left the Moebius rendezvous point (and pulsed structural fields, dropping any bugs the Dominion could have planted) hours ago and met up again with her own fleet or Hercules-class freighters, Valkyries, and Science Vessels, all of which had been modified with Coalition technology. They'd met up with the 4th Hunter Squadron and briefed Seth on everything that had happened since the Battle of the Citadel. They'd also gotten Tychus's suit fixed up so it wouldn't kill him, though Tychus insisted they keep the red countdown meter and the signal receiver just so the view of his face would allow the countdown to be visible and let him to laugh at the controller after he tried activating the suit.

Raynor had let it be, because whoever was threatening Tychus couldn't do it anymore, so there was no reason for Tychus to do anything against Raynor now. Also, he himself was interested in waiting for the big reveal and to get an interesting chance to, as Tychus phrased it "Laugh your ass into orbit."

"Yes, Ariel?" Raynor responded, turning around from the main view screen, watching his fleet hang serenely in the dark vastness of space.

"My people established a new colony on Haven. It was going well, but now the colony's gone dark. They're not responding on any frequency." She looked down at the deck for a moment "We need to get there and see what the situation is. They might have been exposed to the Zerg virus, and they are on the verge of Protoss space. Jim, I'm worried that something has gone very wrong."

"Alright, Adjutant, power up our warp drives. Give me some data on Haven, and send the fleet" the fleet was entirely automated "into stealth mode."

"Aye, sir, despite its idyllic conditions, Haven's close proximity to Protoss territory has deterred most Terran colonization attempts…until now." She reported "Jump capacitors charged, on your mark, sir."

"All hands brace for warp jump." Raynor announced over the PA, grabbing a handlebar just in case the sudden feeling of vertigo made him lose his balance "we jump in one minute!"

One minute later, the Hyperion vanished, while the fleet's external lights went dark and the ships' weapons extended, ready to give any intruders a nasty surprise if they came too close to the stealthed ships.

* * *

The Hyperion exited subspace a safe distance from Haven moments later "We're almost to Haven, but there's still been no contact from… Sir, there's a Protoss fleet holding in orbit! They're disrupting all communications to the surface… and it looks like they're powering up their main weapons!" The whole crew knew what that meant, since Protoss plasma projectors, while horrifically inaccurate, were often used in planetary bombardments and could be used to burn an area of an infestation, or turn an entire planet's surface to ash, perhaps less dramatic and powerful than the glassing the Seraphim had performed on Earth many years ago, but still extremely potent.

"Jim! You have to stop this!" Hanson pleaded, watching, horrified, as the energy readouts on the Protoss ships displayed on the 3D hologram of the fleet rose steadily.

"Matt, open a channel to the Protoss. Let's see how diplomatic they're feeling." Raynor was hoping the Protoss were at least up to negotiating…

"En Taro Tassadar, James Raynor. I am Executor Selendis. Your bravery and service to Aiur are known to us." That was a good sign, though the name was very familiar… _Ah…_ Raynor thought.

"En Taro Tassadar, High Executor Selendis. Listen… with all due respect, your fleet needs to pull back. The people on Haven are no threat to you."

"Firstly, I have not attained the rank of High Executor, last I checked, secondly, our Observers detected Zerg hive spores infesting the colonists. They must be purified. If you wish to undertake this mission in our stead, we will permit it." Selendis waited for a reply, while wondering what the Terran was playing at by addressing her by a higher rank… and who these other ships with Raynor belonged to, ships that were unlike any style she had seen before.

Ariel turned toward Raynor "Jim, some of my people are infested but you can't let the Protoss just destroy them all! If you keep the Protoss at bay, I know I can find a cure for the infestation."

Selendis did the Protoss equivalent of a frown "The only cure for Zerg infestation is purification by fire. You know this to be true, James Raynor."

"I can cure them, Jim… please believe me!"

"If you choose to resist us, we will meet in glorious combat." Selendis stated rather bluntly, she needed to get the point across before the infestation below could spread any further, either they'd do it or the Protoss fleet would, she cared not which "The choice is yours, James Raynor. We await your answer."

"Executor, you will understand how I addressed you if you ask Dark Prelate Zeratul about it sometime in the future, but about this situation…" He turned toward Hanson "I'm so sorry Ariel…but the Executor's right. Believe me; they wouldn't have come all the way here if their data wasn't conclusive." He turned toward Selendis "Call off your fleet Selendis, this is a Terran thing. I'll handle it myself."

"What? This isn't right! I thought you were a better man than this, Jim!"

"Ariel, if there was a cure you would've found it by now! The only thing we can do is put an end to this once and for all."

"I won't accept that! Every one of my people can be saved. I'm close to finding the cure, I know it!"

Selendis nodded and bowed her head slightly, pleased at this outcome "Honour to you, James Raynor. You were ever a true friend of the Protoss. Although this work is painful for you… many more lives will be saved by your actions this day." She cut the channel after that, planning to stay around and get some more scan data on these new, odd, ships, it might be useful in the future.

"We've all laid it on the line for these folks more than once. But there's only one way we can help them now. We've gotta save the ones we can, and kill the rest." Raynor drew up the tactical map data the Protoss had sent over, showing the four infested settlements and the five thus far un-infested settlements. "I know it's terrible, but if we wipe out these infested settlements, we'll save the whole damn planet from being overrun."

"There's nothing a little fire won't cure, lot of ground to cover though, we haven't got enough troops to be everywhere at once." Tychus commented, Raynor noted the conspicuous absence of prison words and grammar.

"Don't worry about it. Seth's already got that covered."

"Yeah I got it covered, Dominic and Thalia are establishing two bases of operation right now, Dominic near the infested colonies, Thalia near the un-infested ones on the landmass south of those. Ivan's with Thalia, but he's mainly there to rally up the colonists for medical scans." Seth responded from the screen.

"They'll make all the difference… I assume I'm in command?" Seth nodded "Thanks, but it looks like some of the infested colonists are turning already."

"And those structures are infesting more of 'em."

"Let's just get this done. Ariel, we're burning the Zerg out from the infested colonies, but if the Protoss try ordering me to burn the clean ones…then we'll be using our allies' help to beat down the Protoss… Ariel, you know this has to be done, I mean… look at that!" He gestured toward the screen, where a large aberration was lumbering about, waving its limbs about.

"I… I guess… yes, it has to be done, just like on Meinhoff…"

"I can guarantee you though that we will protect the clean colonists from anything the Protoss try pulling, is that good with you? Just like on Meinhoff, we protected the ones still uninfected, we're doing the same here… Ariel?"

Ariel Hanson looked up at Jim again, then let out a long sigh "That's alright, Jim, go ahead, I just wish… well, whatever's happening on Haven, my people don't deserve to be wiped out, as long as you keep any more from being infested than already have…" She seemed to be visibly pained by the thought of slaughtering the infected colonist outposts without regard to actual level of infestation "We'll make this right, I'll find a cure… hopefully there'll be enough of my people left alive by the time I'm done."

"Ya hear that, Commanders? No excess collateral damage!" There was a chorus of affirmatives from the three Commanders on the ground "Thanks guys, I owe ya!"

* * *

_Northern Colony Cluster, Haven, October 9, 3868_

Dominic Maddox gated in near a number of mass deposits, and near some Liberiam Crystals and tow Vespene Gas Geysers… No, they're called Minerals here… right. He thought before starting work on three T1 Power Generators that finished in short order due to the upgrades to ACUs since the end of the Seraphim War, their build rate was tripled (to double that of a T3 engineer) and their storage/generation of resources much increased. Though it was still not enough to support immediate construction of a Tier 2 Power Plant, it was enough to allow him to pop down three T1 Power Generators and then a T2 Mass Extractor before needing to head over to the Minerals to gather up some mass. Once he'd reclaimed one mineral field, he turned the ACU's torso around in one fluid motion and started surrounding his Mass Extractor with Mass Storages. Though ACUs were still bulky and all, their movements were far less robotic now as long as the user selected manual control, which was not usually used unless the Commander was in the front lines of a Battle against T3, Command or Experimental units.

As soon as he had a steady income of Mass, by popping down a T3 Mass Extractor (by virtue of reclaiming Minerals and wreckage to refill his storages to an extent before starting) and surrounding it with Storages to increase output, Dominic got started on upgrading his first Mass Extractor and built a T1 Land Factory. Immediately, he started pumping out Mantis T1 Light Armours (formerly Cybran T1 Assault Bot), Sky Slammer Mobile AA, and a few of the new-edition Medusa Mobile Light Artilleries, which fired every three seconds, not five. He got started on a T1 Air Factory at the same time, queuing up a couple Hummingbird-class Air Scouts and then some Prowler-class Interceptors. He immediately planted down another crop of T1 Power Plants to help handle the power load, and then assisted his upgrading Mass Extractor, which was why he'd built those power plants. After that he planted a T1 Radar before putting up a T2 Power Generator.

While the generator was building under his ACU's engineering suite, Dominic sent his army of units southeast toward the nearest Colonial outpost that was still healthy, as Zerg signatures were approaching it on the Radar coverage he'd established. He noted that the primitive biological passive stealth systems allowed the Radar to function well at ranges far, FAR above what it was rated for, about as far as a T3 Omni Sensor's Radar field. There were easily enough units to fight off the Zerg, with the T1 Air Scouts and Interceptors providing air cover and line of sight. Brood Lords and Mutalisks were laughable at best when pitted against Interceptors in nearly equal numbers. That settlement's population quickly filled up the evacuation Hercules Raynor sent down and left.

Dominic left the empty buildings alone and marched his army and air force toward the southern Zerg base while a second army stayed at home base and defended it against the sporadic Zerg attacks. As soon as the T2 Power Plant finished, he began work on a third T3 Mass Extractor group (complete with storages) after setting a second Land Factory down and starting the upgrade to T2. He moved his strategic view to the Zerg base and watched his Interceptors wreak absolute havoc on the Zerg Mutalisks, Brood Lords, Overlords and Overseers as his army opened fire at long range and scuttled/rolled onto the plateau, running into and over Zerg resistance on the ground with near-ridiculous ease. He shrugged and left the units to a patrol route to annihilate all the infested or Zerg structures, then turned his attention back to his base where he planted a second Air Factory and began its upgrade to T3 before starting the upgrade on his T1 Radar to T2 and putting a fourth T3 Mass Extractor on the only remaining Mass Deposit in his initial base area. It would provide more than enough mass for his purposes… He started work on a second T2 Power Generator to ensure his base didn't run low on power when the Radar finished upgrading, then queued some T2 Engineers at his upgrading factories, to be built as soon as the factories were able.

The southern Zerg base was completely eradicated in short order, so Dominic sent his third T1 Land Army north to clean out an infested colony that was directly northeast of his base, going around their plateau, skirting the south side of the northern Zerg base. The units he sent, along with a few Interceptors to clear the air, tore down all the infested structures and Zerg units on the small plateau in under a minute.

Dominic had filled out the four Mass Deposits in his base area with T3 Extractors by now, so he popped down a couple Eruptor T1 Point Defences and a Burst Master T2 Flak Artillery at each of his base's two entrances and put walls up just in front of them. He then took the Tech 2 Army/Air Force he'd produced and ploughed northeast to eliminate the northern Zerg base while his Tier 1 armies converged on the eastern one, battering into the Base's structures and defences methodically before the Zerg expeditionary force could even head out to infest another colony. The Janus Fighter-Bombers were shooting down the Brood Lords and Mutalisks as if they were nothing and raining down streaks of fire on the Zerg base. The Mongooses (T2 UEF Assault Bot) opened fire at long range with their Plasma Chainguns and Fragmentation Grenade Launchers while the Ilshavohs (T2 Seraphim Assault Bot) lumbered closer, carefully staying out of the lines of fire of the Mongooses, to fulfil their duty as the Seraphim T2 Tank and open up with their Aire-au Bolters. The oncoming Zerg were cut down before they could even reach the line of armoured monstrosities, all but for the Ultralisks, which lashed away at the structural fields of the Ilshavohs and even managed to take one down by simply hacking into one of its legs enough times after the structural fields fell from taking too many hits. The Ilshavoh in question was reclaimed by T2 Combat Engineers that followed the group before it could hinder the battle group's inexorable advance.

The group of T2 units rolled into the Zerg base, blowing apart Hydralisks, Roaches, Ultralisks and structures much as the Janus fighter-bombers were shredding the Zerg fliers overhead. Pieces of creep disintegrated/flew as the feet of the twenty-some meter tall bots pounded and churned the Zerg nutrient secretion (to support structures and feed Zerg warriors between battles) to a delicate blood soup of ground-up Zerg parts and creep. The units sat around and methodically tore down the base and infested structures while the Tier 1 armies were chewing up the eastern Zerg base at a much slower pace.

Once all the Zerg bases in the area were taken care of and patrolling Janus Fighter-Bombers took care of stragglers that tried to sneak into the colonist outposts, Dominic declared the area clear and Raiders, using Hercules freighters, picked up the remaining colonists and evacuated them. After an hour, though, Raynor picked up another transmission.

"James Raynor, you have eradicated the Zerg presence, but we are still detecting spore among the colonists… why is this? Why did you not do a thorough job of cleansing them?" Selendis frowned deeply; she thought James Raynor was more honourable in dealing than that…

"I agreed to kill the infested… I never said I would kill them all, Selendis, there is no way in hell I am going to kill those who I can save." Raynor growled back bitterly.

Selendis understood, but… "Raynor, you cannot be serious, we're detecting hive spores on the southern continent, and you've done exactly nothing…"

"Selendis, my new allies are able to cure infestation and clear the spores from the environment as long as it's not complete; it's not going to be a problem."

"Raynor… I respect you, but you're not holding up on the deal… my orders were explicit, to ensure the eradication of all Zerg presence whatsoever from this planet, it's too close to Protoss space for us to take the risk…"

"I… I understand, Selendis, my allies will be ready to meet you."

"You are a worthy opponent, Raynor. I hope your allies are too. Let us meet in glorious battle then." Selendis nodded sadly before closing the line, frowning at the power these allies of Raynor had displayed, they would need to be watched carefully.

* * *

_Southern Colony Cluster, Haven, October 9, 3868_

"Jim, the Protoss are already closing in on the colony! My people don't stand a chance!" Ariel noted with alarm as the three Protoss bases in that area began to actively warp in units instead of passively gathering supplies.

"We're gonna have to stop that 'Purifier' of theirs before it can wipe the whole place out. Get everyone left from the health scans evacuated to the main base, Ariel." The health scans had removed, and, with Nanite therapy, fixed up everyone with Zerg spores, but apparently, there was still residual signature… either that or the Protoss' sensors were covered with Zerg spores, hence their apparent blindness.

"If the Purifier gets that far, we're done." Raynor sent some of the Continentals and trucks of Ivan and Thalia's south to gather up the remaining colonists, which shouldn't be hard. "Well, 'least we can we can count on 'em being methodical. They'll stop to burn every settlement along the way."

"You sure know how to pick a fight, Cowboy." Swann remarked.

"Jim, Thalia, Ivan… The Purifier's drawing power from several Protoss Nexuses, its shields are very much boosted, might be more economical to take down the Nexuses first…" Horner reported.

Hanson looked closer at the massive three-kilometre diameter ship's holographic representation, it dwarfed even the CZARs Ivan and Thalia had fielded "How can you stop something like that fast enough?"

"Easy, we knock out those Nexuses first" Raynor highlighted the structures in question, and the Soul Rippers and CZARs began to fly south "and then we take down the Purifier. Don't worry Ariel, we'll stop 'em now they've turned on us!"

"Sir! The Purifier has arrived and is on the move!" Horner announced, using a glowing red symbol to represent the massive signature on the map.

Thalia had been the one to establish a smattering of Mass Extractors in the area so they'd have lots of resources, while Ivan set up the core base's defences and put up a few defence towers at each colonist outpost. They'd collaborated more smoothly than even the Elite Four had, which was part of why Seth was trying to get them to realize they were perfect for each other, but that was a story for another day… The massive three-kilometre starship was casting an already abandoned Colony base in shadow, Ivan hadn't put any defences in that one, because it was, well, evacuated already, so no fire greeted the Purifier "The Purifier's coming into range of a colony base!" Hanson noted.

"Sir! I'm detecting a massive energy spike! The Purifier is about to fire!" Horner reported.

Seth sent over a communiqué as he watched the Purifier charge up "Hmm that looks almost like the signature for a Sonance, but since the gun is so much bigger, I believe it's five times the yield… four hundred and fifty kilotons in one shot, not bad."

"Huh, that is pretty nice." Raynor nodded.

"The colonists have evacuated the first settlement in the Purifier's path." Horner reported while Raynor watched a CZAR Experimental Air Fortress cast a shadow over a Nexus, flying over the structure and blazing down upon it with its Quantum Beam Generator. Slightly more than four kilotons TNT equivalent per second of continuous beam blazed down on the structure and, within a few seconds, burnt through the shields and armour to cut the pyramid-like building in half.

Raynor nodded "That's one Nexus down, keep at it boys! We've got to stop that ship!"

"The Protoss have arrived at another settlement, sir." Horner reported, looking at the map as the wings of Gemini Air-Superiority Fighters engaged the two carriers sitting over the southernmost Nexus, so that the two Soul Ripper Experimental Gunships could tear away at the base with wild abandon, raining Disintegrator Pulse Laser, Iridium Rocket Pack and Heavy Electron Bolter fire down on the Protoss, whose attempts to fire back were absolute futility in the face of the incredibly strong structural fields of the Soul Rippers. "Energy output is peaking. The Protoss are going to destroy the second colony base!"

"Another Nexus gone, great work! Don't give 'em a chance to regroup!" Raynor said happily. "Ivan, Thalia, hit the eastern Nexus quickly!"

"Sure thing, Jim." Ivan nodded at the man's hologram before turning back to gather up a number of his and Thalia's Revenant Strategic Bombers for the pin-point strike. They could have gone with Shockers, but Revenants had stealth on their side, so the Protoss would have a hard time detecting them outside of sight range. They flew in a silent, standard arrowhead formation, darting through the sky in black and red blurs that were not seen by anyone on the ground due to speed, altitude, and slight light-absorbency included in the stealth fields. Coalition "Radar" included weak visual-light in addition to Radar and Microwave scans, plus a number of others, but this made Stealth very sophisticated, since it had to be.

Regardless of that, the Revenants peeled off their attack run after dropping the Proton Bombs from their bomb bays, swerving around in the airspace over the Protoss base and leaving the Scouts and Phoenixes to pursue and be cut down by the Gemini Air-Superiority Fighters that escorted the five Revenants.

"The Purifier's shields are offline! Hit it now!" Horner prompted, as if it was really necessary, the CZARs and Soul Rippers had, with the remaining Geminis (after killing the two carriers), had been amassing near the Purifier's location, with the CZARs and Soul Rippers boosting higher to be able to fire down on the Purifier, which was fairly close to the ground at present. They collectively swarmed the Purifier, which returned fire with its energy weapon batteries… The one problem with THAT was the Air Crash of any CZAR that was taken down in battle. The few Geminis were destroyed in relatively short order before the guns were turned on the CZARs that blazed down on the Purifier's still-mighty but weakened shields. One CZAR went down after several volleys from the massive starship's many anti-capital ship weapons… and smashed down directly on the covered dome that housed the Khaydarin Crystal which acted as the Purifier's power core.

Although the shields of the ship were powerful, they apparently were already weakened enough that the huge flying saucer smashing edge-on into them resulted in a colossal failure of the shield emitters in that section of the ship. The Khaydarin core dome was utterly smashed and the crystal shattered under the enormous bulk and extreme momentum of the wrecked Air Fortress before it finally came to rest embedded grotesquely in the hull of the Purifier.

Secondary Khaydarin power cores came to life throughout the ship, but their output was simply not enough to keep the shields up long enough so that the Purifier could escape. Soul Rippers hunted over the surface of the craft for its main and secondary weapons, blasting the emplacements to slag with volleys of Iridium Rocket Pack fire and dealing with the more pin-point targets with Disintegrator Pulse Lasers and Heavy Electron Bolters.

The CZARs ceased firing as they began to rise with the Purifier out of the atmosphere, besides vaporizing the wreck of the crashed CZAR to keep Coalition technologies classified. "The Protoss are retreating! You've done it!" Hanson said happily, indeed, on the map, all three Protoss bases were packing up and getting the hell out, as well as the Purifier limping away from the planet extremely slowly.

"Selendis, it was an honour to fight you, but next time, let it be us fighting together against the Zerg. I chose to order the Commanders below not to destroy the Purifier, I hope to see it in battle against the Zerg someday, en taro Tassadar, Executor."

Selendis sent over a final, respectful transmission "You are as cunning as the stories say, James Raynor. I hope your belief in these colonists will be vindicated, en taro Tassadar, James Raynor."

* * *

_High Orbit over Haven, Bridge, Hyperion, October 9, 3868_

"Thank you, Jim; I was originally considering staying with the colonists to help them start a new life here, but…" Hanson shrugged "I think it would be better for all of us, somehow, if I stayed, it's just a feeling, but since I joined up with your crew… I've learned to follow my feelings. You're a good man, James Raynor, I'm staying." The transmission cut out after that.

"Better future; let's hope that's what Ariel's people find on Haven." Horner said, Raynor nodded just before the comm. beeped and Swann piped through a word just after the Purifier limped past the Hyperion, offering a great view of the giant slash across the center of the hull's top and the hole there from the vaporization of the CZAR wreckage.

"Man, did ya see the size of that Protoss ship? Don't matter how often I see 'em, those guys always come out with something that makes your jaw drop. Know what I'm saying?"

"I'd be more impressed if they were using all that power against the Zerg. It's stupid to be killing Protoss when we should be teaming up with them against Kerrigan."

"Listen, they deserved it, and you did the right thing. Friends don't let friends massacre civilians, Jim. I'm proud of you for standing up to 'em."

* * *

_Cantina, Hyperion, October 10, 3868, 5:50 Shipboard Time_

"This is UNN with Donny Vermillion" and "Refugee fleets decreasing", the ticker read as Raynor, Tychus and Swann watched the UNN broadcast leisurely, lounging about in the room. They all knew perfectly well why the second point was, the refugees had either found new planets or, in the case of those lost or in dire need of reinforcements in the face of Zerg attack, been picked up by the roving Corvettes of Seth's 4th Hunter Squadron, or, before he came back, the 5th Hunter Squadron, which had been sort of watching over the Sector.

"Welcome back. We've got good and bad news tonight from our UNN headquarters on Korhal. The influx of refugees has dropped as various fringe world refugees have found new planets on which to settle. For the bad news, let's go to Kate Lockwell. Kate?"

"What? Is… is the feed open? Hi! Um, yes, hi Donny, well many of the refugees are starting new colonies and they've declared themselves independent of the Dominion." The Asian woman reported, while the ticker rolled "Emperor Mengsk tightens security measures", causing Raynor to roll his eyes.

"They have no faith in Emperor Mengsk's leadership." Donny said as if it was a foregone conclusion, which it was…

"Well, Donny, they mostly seem like regular folks who are scared about the current crisis—and angry that the Dominion didn't do more to save them. Some of them have praised Jim Ray—"

Apparently Vermillion was still forced to not refer to Raynor in a positive way, he interrupted "Thanks for that, Kate. You heard it here first. Serious questions about Emperor Mengsk's leadership across the fringe worlds."

The ticker corroborated it "food riots on fringe worlds", though "Raynor's reign of terror continues" was typical Dominion propaganda and so went right over the heads of Raynor's crew

"Can he warn me when he's going to do that?" Kate rolled her eyes on the feed.

"Funny how people take it personally when you abandon them to the Zerg, eh?"

"Damn straight, now let's go see what the hell Valerian has for us this time… if we can get Warfield on our side… get him to turn against Mengsk; we'll have scored a major victory." Tychus said.

"True, Tychus, but how do you propose we pull that off?" Matt raised an eyebrow.

"There's gotta be something…"

"Sir, we have a problem down in the lab…" Stetmann called "Doctor Hanson is not responding to any communication attempts… I think something might have gone terribly, terribly wrong…"

"Well, good thing I haven't changed since the assault on the Bucephalus, eh?" Raynor said, pulling his Gauss SMG, it was more practical in extreme close quarters sometimes…

* * *

_Laboratory, Hyperion, October 10, 3868, 5:52 Shipboard Time_

The hydraulic door opened up when Raynor used his override codes, and Raynor stepped inside, hearing the door hiss shut behind him. He looked around the massive, elongated room known as the laboratory and frowned.

"Ariel, are you in here?" He called, speakers amped to maximum. He moved around the lab slightly, watching the other dot on his Omni for any movement. A blinking computer screen and a spilled viral tissue sample sitting next to a hypo spray full of the Nanite serum told him that something was very, very wrong indeed. The computer screen read "Ariel Hanson, 15.3% Zerg DNA detected, Status: Infected."

"Matt, seal all access points." Raynor growled into his comm. just before Ariel stood up shakily from behind a stasis tube "Oh God… not you, too…" Raynor murmured, training his weapon on the obviously infested woman, whose eyes glowed a dull orange, similar to Kerrigan's.

"I… it's stopping me from… that." She was breathing hard as she pointed at the hypo spray of Nanite serum before she seized up and her eyes blazed harder, as her arms began to mutate and acquire claws. The next sentence evidently came from the Zerg. "Will you enjoy it?" She jumped and hung upside-down on the rafters "Will you enjoy killing me…like you killed my children?"

"You're infested…You're dead already, Zerg." Raynor kept his gun trained on the creature that had taken over the Doctor's body. She pounced at him with newly-acquired forearm blades just as his SMG hand came up and caught her by the front of her lab coat, the gun clattering to the floor.

Hanson seemed to freeze up for a moment before whispering harshly, the orange glow dimming slightly for a moment and her arms falling to her sides "Do…it…finish…it…" She managed to get out before her eyes squeezed shut and the bright orange glow returned, the two arm blades flexing out of her arms and lashing at Raynor's personal shields without significant effect.

Raynor's other hand snatched up the hypo spray and pressed it to the shoulder of the creature trying to slash into his personal shields and armour (and failing utterly). Raynor emptied the entire contents of the hypo spray into Hanson before turning and watching the computer readout tick down in terms of infestation state to 0.1% Zerg DNA before it stopped and declared her clean. "You, Doc, are in for a long stay in med bay." Raynor said, shaking his head as he carried her out of the lab.

* * *

_Cantina, Hyperion, October 11, 3868_

"Third infestation site found, quarantine extended" and "Major battle in Dylar system" were filed away as useful military Intel in Raynor's mind as he idly watched the UNN broadcast.

"Your best and only source for news, this is Donny Vermillion for UNN! Refugees continue to enter Dominion Space, they're showing up on our doorsteps, those that haven't found safe planets or vanished into nowhere." In this case "nowhere" was Coalition space, or a protectorate area thereof, but Donny didn't know that.

Kate Lockwell came on "Donny, Emperor Mengsk today announced that he's ordered the fleet to turn away refugee ships that enter core-world systems. Which raises the question, will Dominion ships really fire on unarmed civilian vessels? General Warfield had this to say:"

The ticker rolled "Conscription age limits to be reduced" and "Umojan Protectorate closes borders" as Warfield came on "All our efforts at this time are focused on halting the zerg advance on the Core Worlds."

"In other words, the General dodged the question. If Dominion forces fire on unarmed civilians…" she trailed off, though implications were very clear. Raynor thought if they did so it would be just another reason to stop Mengsk, and they could probably easily get General Warfield to turn to their own side.

The ticker kept going, heedless of all else "Kel-Morians 'Useless' - Ret. Gen Martin" and "Kyla Velassi to unveil new fashion line" were roughly useless, so Raynor actually heard Donny's next bit in his mental meanderings.

"Let's hope they don't. Your heard it here first. For UNN, I'm Donny Vermillion."

"Now that that's over, you want to talk?"

"You gonna tell me 'I told ya so', that we never should've gone to Agria in the first place?"

"I'm not about to kick dirt on ya when you're down. Just some bad luck is all. Besides I'm sure your Protoss buddies are real proud of you." Tychus gestured to the plaque of courage and the data disks Selendis had sent over anyways, which was right next to the Colonial Flag of Agria the colonists had given the Raiders in thanks for repelling the Zerg and Protoss.

"It was our own mess to clean up. I don't give a flying fuck what the Protoss think."

"I'm… sorry about Ariel, sir. None of us ever suspected she'd been secretly infested…" Horner had finally spoken up from his spot around the Command Crew Table, as it had begun to earn the name of, though one, a certain doctor who was currently in med bay being scanned and looked over by Coalition medical personnel, was conspicuously absent.

Raynor grunted in response, his eyes sliding over the empty seat before coming to rest on Swann "Do you think we could've saved more of those colonists?"

"Honest?" The engineer raised an eyebrow, Raynor nodded "No." Swann waved his cybernetic arm dismissively "And you got your head up your ass if you think any different."

"There had to be a better answer, though. Maybe if we caught it earlier… or seen the signs…"

"Look, if the Protoss with all their tech, psionics and big freaking alien brains couldn't do anything for them, and the Coalition couldn't deal with full infestations, there wasn't anything we could've done. Sometimes life's just rough that way."

"Sad, sad indeed." Raynor let out a sigh as they collectively looked down at the table.

"I agree" A very familiar voice said just before the fifth chair at the table was pulled back and a fixed-up Doctor sat down heavily "though these things are pretty nifty" She flexed the one reminder of her semi-infested state, two Hydralisk-style scythes built into her forearms, able to fold up along the bones when not in use, making the arms appear normal other than the groove where the blades were folded, which was invisible when in long sleeves "hmm… wonder if… Ugh!" She was bowled over by an armoured Tychus Findlay who had her pinned to the ground and his Phasic SMG in her face before she could do more than let out a surprised grunt.

"Hey, hey, we've declared her clean, but she'll have those scythes for the rest of her life, or until they're irreparably removed." The Coalition medical personnel following her around pulled Tychus off of Hanson, who sat up shakily. "Her bone structure has also been reinforced, by the way, though all other Zerg DNS has been purged." Tychus let out a sarcastic grunt at that, earning a glare from the medical staff that had followed Hanson over to explain things.

"Tychus, next time you try to break my legs, can you give me a warning first?" Hanson huffed, getting back up.

"What's the fun in that?"

Hanson facepalmed "Right… I should have guessed." She sighed and was quiet for a moment before straightening up on her chair "So, what were you talking about?" The four men at the table looked at each other for a moment.

"Uh…"

* * *

A/N: I think Hanson's way too much of a good character to get rid of despite doing both missions here one after another. So yeah, she's alive… except she might do something crazy in the Belly of the Beast if I decide to do that mission… I'm thinking Hydralisk-style slashing skills for her maybe? That'll be useful, I hope, in addition to other capabilities (such as Psi?)

Meh, I'll be considering all that later, for now, it's time to start using ALL the Hyperion's goods, and time for its Codex Entry…


	15. Completing the Puzzle

A/N: the Bar Fight scene will be modified, because there is no chance in hell Raynor without at least Civilian armour is going to have a chance at dodging Tychus charging him, the Raider power armour is simply too fast, especially with Quantum Propulsion Pack boosting included. But I don't think Tychus is going to be too crazy about it, since his armour's been fixed up to not harm him anyways, so he doesn't have nearly as much to fight about other than working for the treacherous Dominion (and being drunk).

In this chapter, we shall witness the full power of the new and improved Hyperion. You know how you can beat the Media blitz mission with the Odin alone on Casual difficulty? Well, here, the difficulty is more like Insanity considering numbers of enemies, but the Hyperion can pull off the same thing the Odin could on Casual in Media Blitz.

For the record, one-village-idiot, please note that Phason Laser is on Galactic Colossi (Heavy Microwave Laser on Monkeylords). CZARs use Quantum Beam Generators. I believe Light Orbital Defence Stations in the Coalition are effectively CZARs, and they use the same Quantum Beam Generator as the primary weapon. And yes the CZARs flying above the Mothership were blazing down at it with all their power. About Jaran Kael… we'll see when the time comes.

* * *

Chapter 15: Completing the Puzzle

_At Moebius Rendezvous Point, Bridge, Hyperion, October 12, 3868_

"Commander, our mutual friends at the Moebius Foundation have located the last artefact fragment. When this final piece is secured we can proceed to Char and confront Kerrigan. Good luck, Mr. Raynor, I fear you'll need it." The message had been, Raynor had brought the Hyperion back to the Rendezvous Point, with the 4th Hunter Squadron hanging nearly a light-minute away under full stealth.

The Bucephalus opened a channel to the Hyperion without further incident "My Moebius associates have finally tracked down the last piece of the artefact. It's on a derelict Xel'Naga ship located within the Sigma Quadrant."

"Adjutant, any data?" Raynor looked toward the Cybernetic woman who rolled her eyes and dictated "Sigma Quadrant: This mysterious, largely unexplored tract of space is rumoured to hold derelict spacecraft of unknown alien origin." She drew it up on the galactic map.

Raynor whistled "Pretty far off the beaten path, junior…"

"The artefact is…here." The video feed had zoomed in to show a derelict ship with coordinates next to it "The ship has several Rip-field generators which disintegrate everything at a molecular level in a matter of moments."

"Fortunately our new Minotaur class Battlecruisers should be able to survive the fields long enough to destroy the generators."

Raynor nodded "Anything else we should know?"

"Well, long range scans have identified a sizable Tal'darim force holding in the area."

Tychus frowned deeply beside Jim "We are in way over our heads on this one, Jimmy. Walking into rip-fields? I didn't sign up for no suicide mission! We should just take the money and run."

Raynor tilted his head "Getting cold feet, Tychus?"

Tychus shook his head "I lost nine years in prison on account of you. Am not tossing what's left of my life away just so you can rescue your little princess!"

"Well if you're feeling too old for this, you can sit this one out…partner."

"Nah, just joking, between you, me, the rest of the crew, and the Coalition, we can pull this shit easily… I hope" Tychus said "By the way; remember you'll owe me some of that Serrice Ice Brandy when this mess is over."

"No problem, Tychus…Adjutant, prep the ship for jump. Let's get this over with."

* * *

_Sigma Quadrant, Hyperion, October 12, 3868_

The Hyperion appeared in a small flash of light that announced the arrival of the enormous ship. Seth had quantum jumped in-system but chosen to see how Raynor would pull this, since ACU warfare was not good for battle on ships or remains of ships. Mass extraction was just too risky.

"Alright boys, let's hit "

Raynor: Alright boys, go to battle Stations, deploy all weapons! Couple of shots from our Sonance or Heavy Oblivions will flatten anything…

Horner drew up a tactical map of the area "We'll be lucky to find many normal resources here, but centuries of asteroid impacts have scattered mineral fragments and crystallized vespene all over the wreck."

Raynor nodded "Alright, we'll scout around and see what we can pick up."

"Caution, anomalous gravity distortion detected." The Adjutant stated, highlighting the source with a Soothsayer scan.

"There's the first rip-field Valerian talked about." Raynor said "Power up the weapons… wait, get a bit closer, make sure our shield integrity is full…"

"It doesn't do shit to shields. Wait, the thing's reading as a Mass Effect field, same stuff as the Warp biotic ability…" Horner noted as they passed the line and the rip-field didn't do anything. "Okay, that's just slightly weird… Anyways, fire port Oblivion Cannon at that rip-field generator!" The contained plasma resonance round collided with the Generator and tore away at its shields and armour. "Hmm, that didn't kill it, alright; fire the Sonance at that sucker!"

Horner blinked at the crater left in the derelict ship's hull "okay, perhaps we should have just used the other Oblivion Cannon…"

"Yeah, thank the Coalition our Command Centers are upgraded enough to land over a crater…" Raynor muttered, flying the Command Center, already assembled earlier, over and deploying it.

Tychus looked at the map and then at Raynor "What do you think Jimmy? Quick smash and grab?"

"We're gonna need to blast our way through." Raynor said after using the Omni Sensors to get a good feel for what was around. "Might as well gather up everything here first while we're at it"

"We will eventually be running low on minerals at this location. Additional mineral supplies have been located nearby." The Adjutant highlighted a resource area near the north center of the map, the Hyperion advanced over the hull of the Xel'Naga ship and fired at the three Photon Cannons on the other side of the chasm in the derelict's hull that separated Raynor's "island" from the rest of the operational area. They were scrapped within moments.

"En taro Tassadar, friend Raynor! The Tal'darim have imprisoned all who oppose them. Release us and we will gladly fight at your side against them." A Dark Templar transmitted from a prison cell in the south center of the Operational Area. The Hyperion opened up on the prison controls with a Medium Oblivion Cannon (same as the type mounted on Omen-Class Battleships), blasting it to slag and freeing the three Dark Templar locked in there. "Our thanks, James Raynor, The Tal'darim will pay for their treachery."

The two wing-end sections of the Battlecruiser unlocked and actuated. The two Heavy Microwave Lasers in them levelled themselves, one at the Nexus to the north, and another at the other structures. The barrels of the Heavy Oblivion Cannons had already released two shots, reducing the rip-field generator to slag, and blasted two Gateways to pieces with another volley. The Heavy Microwave Lasers burnt away at the base, until all that was left was scrap, which took but moments.

"We will join the hunt for the Tal'darim." Was what was said to Raynor when the second Tal'darim prison was busted open, freeing the Dark Templar. This was just before over a thousand interceptors came in from the south, launched by two carriers, and three Void Rays focused on the Hyperion. Raynor's ship opened up with all the Zealot SIMs, Electron Flak and Loa Tactical Missiles onboard (using the proximity detonation of the Tactical Missiles), destroying the Interceptors in massive numbers using the splash of the weapons, while the Medium Oblivion Cannons and Ravagers fired straight-line at the Void Rays. The Heavy Microwave Lasers, Sonance and Heavy Oblivion Cannons focused on one Carrier. The Hyperion's shields absorbed the pulse weapons of the Interceptors while the heavy weapons barrelled through the cloud of Interceptors, smashing into the shields of the Void Rays and through them with mass fire. The Carriers fared better, actually lasting a while under the fire. The Heavy Microwave laser on the Hyperion's port side fired on the Carrier to that side of the bow, whereas the spinal Sonance and under-chin Heavy Oblivion Cannons, plus the other HML cut away at the second carrier. The Sonance and Oblivions shattered the shields in twenty seconds (60000+80000 from HML=140000 points shields by Coalition scaling) and the Heavy Microwave Laser burnt through, lighting up the Carrier in secondary explosions. The next volley the Sonance and Oblivions got off broke down the other Carrier's shields and punched a crater in the hull which was rapidly expanded by the other Heavy Microwave Laser, chewing through bulkheads and setting off the ship's core in a giant explosion. Even before taking down the Carriers, they'd already cleared the sky of the Interceptors and the Phoenix and scout fighters that had come from the north.

Raynor whistled "damn, those Coalition upgrades are a lot better than I thought, eh, Tychus?" No response, Raynor looked around into a dark hole "uh, Tychus, please refrain from gaping like that right next to me, it's creepy."

Tychus tried to close his mouth, but found his jaw had become stuck, he had to use his hands to get it back in place "well, Jimmy, that's the first time I've seen or even heard of two Carriers dying in under a freaking minute, your ship's GOD compared to Mengsk's BCs… maybe we can pull off that Char invasion after all…"

The Hyperion kept heading west, though it cut speed to make shield regeneration have a bit more time. Behind the ship's path, the minerals and vespene of the region were being rapidly packed up by the RCVs.

The Hyperion took down a Rip Field Generator with a Sonance shot at long range at the same time as opening up on two Void Rays with the Heavy Microwave Lasers, punching through in just over two seconds each. The Ravagers, Medium Oblivion Cannons and Loa Tactical Missiles rained down destruction on the structures as the Electron Flak and Zealot SIMs opened up holes in the nearly solid wall of Interceptors flying toward the Hyperion. The Wraiths the Hyperion had been assembling and releasing took up positions behind the ship, ready to pick off anything the main weapons didn't reach, which wasn't much.

Five Carriers, with over two thousand interceptors, met the Hyperion. One minute later, five large flaming hulks and a thousand or so Interceptor parts were embedded in the derelict Xel'Naga ship's hull, or in some instances in Protoss buildings on said hull. Raynor had had to orient all non-anti-fighter weapons forward to pull it off, but the Hyperion came out of the mess with structural integrity fields still intact and regenerating. The shields went up again as the shield generators rebooted, minutes after the battle, and the Hyperion began to move again.

Medium Oblivion Cannons opened up the last two prison vaults, releasing the Dark Templar inside. They offered their assistance and some data disks after the mission was done. "My blades thirst for vengeance!" and "Truly you bring freedom to all, friend Raynor" were the words they used. The remaining Tal'darim fortifications didn't take too long for the Hyperion to cut through, pouring down a rain of Loa, Ravager, Oblivion, and HML fire as the Zealots and Electron Flak kept the skies clear. Finally, they had eliminated all the rip-fields of the area (just in case), repaired the damage to the structural fields and the supporting armour matrix, rebooted the shields, and were about to open fire on the vault to break it open when a Protoss Mothership exited warp almost on top of them.

"Make peace with your gods, defilers! You will now answer for your crimes!"

"That Protoss Mothership is formidable, sir. Databases indicate it's capable of cloaking nearby friends and phasing enemies out of existence for a short time." Horner said, using the new data-discs the liberated Dark Templar had given the Raiders to good effect.

"Hmm, well good thing we have Omni sensors if they brought anything… damn, call Seth, we're going to need help with that monster, I think… crap, they're jamming comms, ah well, we'll see who's tougher." The Mothership had moved to orient its bombardment weapon toward the Hyperion, which was pulling up and out of the way with both Heavy Microwave Lasers blazing. The anti-capital weapons plus the Ravagers had collectively fired off a volley before the Hyperion began to move, inflicting a massive amount of damage to the shields of the Mothership, which held steady, merely rippling slightly. The Mothership's other weapons arrays opened fire as one, phase disruptor, ion cannon and missile weaponry surging toward the Hyperion and splattering off the shields of the Hyperion.

The Hyperion peeled up and away from the Xel'Naga derelict as the Mothership charged up its belly weapon, which smashed into the Hyperion solidly, dealing a good 50,000 damage to the shields of the Battle Cruiser in one blast before Raynor, realizing his disadvantage at range against the unwieldy Mothership, flew on a direct course toward the Mothership, which was forced to move out of the way after exchanging another full volley with Raynor, who got off two volleys from most of his weapons in the time. The Mothership was forced to move out of the way and the Hyperion swung itself on its side. The two ships passed one another with hardly a kilometre to spare as the Hyperion emptied all its top and side-mounted weapons into the Mothership's hull and the Mothership did the same with its top and bottom hull weapons, plus the other weapons of that side, or rather, tried to do it.

One major weakness of Mothership was that their anti-capital weapon banks took a while to actuate, unlike the Hyperion's rapidly swinging guns. Also, another weakness was that the direction they usually used as "down" was in fact the direction they were supposed to move toward an enemy fleet with. The Hyperion, by virtue of superior damage output since the Mothership simply wasn't manoeuvrable enough to use the planetary bombardment weapon effectively, ended up on top of the Mothership, matching its every move. The Mothership's attempts to use it Phasing capability on the Hyperion had failed because Coalition structural fields were designed to resist phasing attacks as well as in-phase ones. Raynor was happy to find that out, though the Hyperion was unable to use the Sonance or its topside weapons effectively, cutting its firepower output by about a third. However, the missiles could still fire regardless, Zealot SIMs arcing around the Hyperion and slamming into the Mothership's shields, which directed all upward weapons at the Hyperion.

The Tal'darim attempts to manoeuvre the Mothership to bring more weapons to bear, since most of a Mothership's weapons were on the underside, failed against the superior manoeuvrability of the Hyperion, and so, once the Hyperion lost shields, the first Priority of the Tal'darim was to target the weapons emplacements. Much to their surprise, even direct hits with anti-ship guns could not disable a weapons emplacement. The horrified Tal'darim tried to jump just in time to find out Raynor had activated a Subspace Jammer, with their minds set and fates decided they prepared to fight to the death.

When the Mothership's shields fell, the first order of business for the Hyperion was to sweep the Mothership's main weapon emplacements, on the three arms radiating from the ring. The Wraith fighters, with their Light Pulse Lasers and Nanodart Launchers, were unleashed to chip away at the weapons emplacements that were all over the top hull, while the Heavy Microwave Lasers, Heavy Oblivion Cannons, Loa Tactical Missiles and Zealot SIMs hacked away the arms. The finishing blow came as the Hyperion, obviously damaged, with parts of armour scorched, glowing or in some sectors even slightly slagged from the structural fields turning back the energies of weapon fire and dispersing the rest over the entire armoured hull, finally oriented itself toward the Mothership's Khaydarin Core dome from the top and fired off the Sonance in a final strike after withdrawing all the Wraiths from their duty slagging weapons emplacements.

The containment dome, containment field, and Khaydarin Crystal shattered under the ninety-kiloton strike, and the Mothership, with most of its auxiliary power systems down, suffered a very, very different fate from the one the Purifier Mothership had back on Haven. Secondary explosions racked the ship as the Tal'darim executor sent a final transmission just before his ship broke up "Fools! My…spirit returns to the Xel'Naga…"

Raynor rolled his eyes before blasting open the Vault with the Hyperion's weapons "Alright, we're clear. Grab that thing and set a course to rendezvous with Valerian after we finish repairs. I want a casualty report, Adjutant."

"Casualties on our side: five crewmen wounded, zero killed, the wounded are currently receiving medi-gel and should all be back in action by tomorrow." The Adjutant then continued, knowing perfectly well what Raynor would ask next "Estimated time for repairs to the ship with our current resources is one hour, sir."

"Excellent." After the Raiders had packed up shop again, Raynor called everyone to stand down from Battle Stations and go back to whatever they were doing before. The Hyperion's two under-hammer Oblivion Cannons retracted back into their alcoves, only the muzzles still visible, forming two of the glowing circles on the bow of the ship, more specifically the lower ones (the Sonance muzzle was the larger one on top). The Ravagers, Medium Oblivion Cannons and Zealot SIMs retracted into their alcoves, and the doors on the Loa Tactical Missile bays slid closed again. The Heavy Microwave Lasers hid themselves again between the wing-tip bars of the Battlecruiser, and the hull plates slid shut over them. In short, the Hyperion went back to looking like a weak, aging, innocuous Behemoth-class Battlecruiser within a few seconds, while it slowly repaired itself. An hour later, it jumped.

* * *

_At Moebius Rendezvous Point, Auditorium, Hyperion, October 13, 3868_

The Auditorium was packed with people, having been converted into a meeting place for the crew, who were simmering with anger "You boys gotta wake up! Raynor's lost sight of what we're fighting for! I joined this outfit to fight the Dominion not work for 'em! We should go remind that man why we fight!" Kachinsky shouted in disgust, murmurs of assent rippled through the auditorium at his words.

Swann appeared next to Kachinsky, who was currently on the stage behind a lectern "Everybody simmer down! We trusted the commander before, we should trust him now!"

"Listen here, Swann, we all trust Jimmy, but the problem is, that man wearing Jimmy's face these days ain't the Jimmy we all know and love, unless you or I get him to go back to being his old self… You can't trust that drunk." Tychus was himself obviously drunk, stumbling about in his Raider armour as he got onto the stage

"You've been nothing but poison since you get on this crate!" Swann stabbed his cybernetic arm through the air at Tychus, who leaned closer with a frown.

"That right!" He picked Swann up by his overalls. Swann was by no means an idiot, Raider armour was built to be tough and powerful, so he stayed silent as Tychus, drunk out of his mind, snarled "Pathetic. The only person you can trust is yourself. The sooner you peons figure that out…"

The doors opened with a bang, and Jim Raynor, clad in his often-worn Coalition Civilian armour (his choice of on-ship attire even when not in alert or battle stations)

"I heard about enough of this." Raynor strode down the aisles of the auditorium toward the front. Tychus, watching Raynor approach, threw Swann at the lectern, knocking it, and Kachinsky to the floor under Swann's bulk

"You got 'em all fooled, don't ya, Jimmy? But the first sign of trouble, you'll just duck and run. It's what you do ain't it? Me…them…that pretty little girlfriend of yours…" Tychus's more rational part of mind was too busy trying to figure out when the hell he'd gotten so drunk to stop the words coming out of his mouth, and also why the hell he'd agreed to Swann's off-the-wall plan.

Raynor spat on Tychus' armour, surprisingly, the big man didn't have his over-shields, personal shields or even structural integrity fields activated, since the spit stuck. Tychus roared and threw the second lectern at Raynor, who side-stepped, the entire crew watching the face-off on the stage in an awed silence. Findlay then charged Raynor, who dove and rolled just before Tychus would have pinned him against the back wall of the stage area, which acquired a rather large dent, Raynor then threw the stage props that still littered the stage at Tychus, the props smashing against or bouncing off Tychus' armour. Charging Raynor again, and Raynor sidestepping, Tychus found himself face-to-face with a very angry Ariel Hanson, who had been watching the fight between the man she'd been eyeing for a bit and his friend, while downing her drink, until she'd had enough and joined in.

"You will end this madness this INSTANT!" Hanson roared, fire in her eyes and voice rather unlike her own, so much that Tychus actually took a step back before swinging a haymaker at her, which much to Tychus' surprise, Hanson blocked with both her scythes, straining against the much larger man's strength (he originally had not used the armour's strength, he didn't want to kill Jim, just teach him a lesson) and throwing the arm aside just in time to deliver a backhanded blow to Tychus' face. "Jim is a good an honourable man, you, on the other hand, are FILTH!" She appeared to be somewhat drunk too, since she had a blush and there was a bottle sitting where she'd been sitting. Tychus charged Ariel, his shoulder leading the charge, in response the nimble ex-infested ducked just low enough and used the extra strength she now had, using the scythes as leverage, to send Tychus flying over her shoulder. "Hmm, seems I'm stronger than I was, well, glad to see something good came out of that nightmarish experience…" she shuddered for a moment before walking over to Jim "you okay?" Silence… "Uh, Jim? Damn, I think he's dislocated his jaw… never mind."

Jim had just finished gaping, this sort of thing had been on the list of side-effects he and every other crew member of the Hyperion had received on Hanson's infestation and subsequent curing. Despite that, he had not expected her to, without any armour whatsoever other than a lab coat, be able to hold off a haymaker from Tychus, or to throw the fully-armoured Raider. "Ariel, let me handle him, I know how he fights…"

Tychus ended up falling down the stairs to the preparation rooms under the stage before coming back up like an angry bull, reaching up to grab one of the huge speaker boxes from the ceiling, tearing it from its socket with but a tug, using only his own strength (the armour's strength simply kept itself from becoming cumbersome in his current setting). Raynor frowned "Don't do something you're gonna regret Tychus." He then darted around behind Tychus as Tychus smashed the speaker box down where he and Ariel were before. Grabbing the still-sparking cable, he jammed the end in the back of Tychus' armour just as Ariel, her scythes buried in the sound box, threw it straight back. Though the armour would protect against electric shocks, without structural fields, it had a good chance of locking up for at least a little bit until the electrical systems could repair themselves and reactivate.

"That… ain't… fair…" Tychus growled as he fell to the ground, his armour having locked up.

Raynor turned to the crowd sitting around in the room "You think he's right? I'm just gonna run out on ya?"

Kachinsky had gotten himself out from under Swann's bulk somehow (Swann would later claim not to know how the hell that happened) "You've got us working for the Dominion now, Commander. Taking us back to Char. It's like you're gone already." He pulled on one of Swann's arms, the still stunned engineer not very responsive.

Raynor helped Kachinsky get Swann back on his feet and sighed; closing his eyes as he addressed his men "This ain't about the Dominion. Our war's has always been about saving lives." His eyes opened and roved around the crowd below the stage "If the Zerg wipe everyone out, it's all been for nothing. So I'm going back to Char. If you're with me, it's your choice. Just like it's always been."

Kachinsky finally broke a smile "Now that's the commander I've been waiting on." He gave Raynor a slap on the back before shaking his hand, wincing, he'd forgotten how hard and tough Coalition Civilian Armour's plates were…

"Satisfied?" Swann asked, looking toward Kachinsky, the plan was working!

The younger man nodded "Alright boys, let's get back to work." The crew filed out slowly, mostly nodding and talking about how Raynor had gotten the priorities straight. Hanson nodded toward Raynor and glanced pointedly toward Tychus before folding her scythes back into her forearms and leaving with the crew.

Raynor rolled Tychus over and put his armoured foot on the other man's much heavier chest plate "I don't want to have this conversation any more… And fix my damn stage!"

Raynor walked out of the auditorium, leaving only Tychus, still in Raider armour, in the middle of a pool of light that shone only on him, courtesy of the Adjutant managing the stage lighting.

"Uh…a little help…anybody…?" Tychus looked around "Nobody ever told me hoe to reboot the armour!" He noticed a little flashing bit on his HUD that said "Auto-reboot disabled." So he shrugged inside the armour and began using his fingers inside the gloves to deal with the controls, rolling his eyes at not setting the auto-reboot to on.

* * *

_Armoury, Hyperion, October 12, 3868_

"How're you holding up down here, chief?"

Swann shrugged "Better now we got our old commander back… guess the damn thing worked after all." He muttered the last part to himself.

Raynor frowned "What thing?"

"Oh, uh, well, to cut down on the dissent, well… me and Tychus, we, er…"

"Danced around wearing only thongs?" Raynor remembered a distinctly sad occasion when a certain second-in-command of his had gotten a bit too much to drink and started dancing in the auditorium. The only male Raiders who'd stayed there that time were Raynor, Swann, Kachinsky and Stetmann. The only reason they had been there was to prevent Matt from getting Zerg rushed by the hordes of women. Suffice it to say Matt Horner did not show his face in public for the next three days, and was once found hiding out in Raynor's room claiming his own was unsafe. The women of the Hyperion had settled down after a week or so and Matt had resumed duty, besides, it wasn't as if the other men (and the women) hadn't done stupid things… such as the one time when most of the crew was inebriated after the Battle of the Citadel. All the younger women had decided to turn the Auditorium into a strip club due to drunkenness. The net result was Raynor, Horner, Swann, Stetmann and Graven Hill, the Hyperion's resident merc contract contact man, were forced to find a way to herd out and keep out the male population of the Hyperion. Luckily, they had the older or still not-quite-drunk-enough females helping, sadly, after kicking out the last male Raider, they themselves were unceremoniously booted out forcibly. In vengeance, the Adjutant had agreed to release the holographic videos of that night, but Raynor still remembered the Raiders laughing at the way he and his helpers were thrown out on their asses once the women had finished with them.

"Oh hell no, we just, uh, you should ask Tychus."

Raynor narrowed his eyes and stroked his chin, barely suppressing a snicker "I didn't know you swung that way, Swann"

Swann facepalmed "Listen, it was just a plan to help the morale of the men, talk to Tychus about it, I'm going over these improved BC schematics Prince Charming sent us, and laughing my ass off when comparing it to the Hyperion."

"Fine, fine, I'm going… talk about getting my ass booted out of the armoury."

* * *

_At Moebius Rendezvous Point, Bridge, Hyperion, October 12, 3868_

After they'd looked out at the field of stars for long enough, Raynor turned his head toward Matt "You still got a problem with us working alongside Valerian?"

Horner turned his head too "Mengsk turned out to be a ruthless dictator…but that shouldn't automatically condemn his son. I've followed you through hell and back, sir, I'm not quitting on you now."

Raynor gave Horner a hearty slap on the back "Good man. This truce won't last forever, just long enough to get the job done."

Horner knew perfectly well what Tychus and Swann's plan had entailed, so he felt no guilt saying "On a personal note, nice job with Tychus. That ass-kicking's been a long time coming."

Raynor nodded before opening a channel to the Bucephalus "Well, junior, we got our hands on the final artefact. We can assemble it anytime, just give us a call."

"Thank you, Commander, and well done. You're every bit as resourceful as I've been led to believe. I think the odds are stacking in our favour."

"You better hope so. Delivering this…artefact thing right to Kerrigan's doorstep… we're gonna need all the luck we can get." Raynor had a feeling that he'd accumulated the required amount of luck as soon as they'd encountered the Coalition so long ago.

"Rest easy, we'll have the might of the Dominion Fleet behind us!" Valerian said, grinning boyishly.

Raynor snorted "Right." And rolled his eyes "Thanks, Junior, for those BC schematics." He nodded respectfully before cutting the channel "Even if they were absolute shit compared to my own schematics." He said to the blank screen.

* * *

_At Moebius Rendezvous Point, Laboratory, Hyperion, October 12, 3868_

"That was a rough mission. I can't believe you got the artefact!" Hanson seemed quite happy, bouncing up and down as she watched the artefact pieces spin in the containment field. "And the Hyperion took on a Mothership on its own, and won!"

"Thanks, Doc, it was a close match, we couldn't have pulled it without the Wraiths burning down some of the weapons emplacements." The Ravagers and Oblivions had been busy taking out secondary power cores to disable large swaths of weapons, though temporarily, at once. "Now if you'll excuse me, I need to talk to Tychus."

"Alright, if you need any help with him, I'm here." Hanson winked and flexed her scythes before folding them back into the groove in her forearms that they "normally" were stored in. She'd been adapting remarkably well to having potentially lethal blades as part of her person, so well that even she wondered if she had a claw fetish. Then again, she didn't find the Zerg claws over the Cantina door interesting, so probably not.

"Okay, Doc. Tychus, you ready to tell me what the hell that was all about?"

"Man, these last few weeks… Helping you fight the good fight. I finally got a taste of what real freedom is…"

Raynor had a feeling Tychus was bullshitting here "Swann said I should ask you about you two's little plan."

"What plan?" Raynor glared at Tychus "Alright… me and Swann saw what was happening to morale and the unity of the crew, so we decided to stage a little something so you'd get to tell the rest of the crew that the old you was back, the man out for justice, the man with drive. We accomplished that, the crew's been spreading word to those that haven't gotten it yet about how they have their Commander back."

"Tychus… wow, thanks, buddy, I owe ya."

"Don't mention it; just remember to make life hell for Mengsk. Oh, and the reason I told ya not to mention it was because you owed me anyways." Tychus grinned cheekily.

Raynor groaned "Why did I not see that coming?"

"Exactly the same reason as you not noticing someone's got their eyes on ya for a while, you're freaking blind, Jimmy, but that's for another day." Why'd you think they'd turn feral in protectiveness over you, you idiot? Tychus was inclined to facepalm at his oblivious friend but resisted the urge.

"Jim, we have a new UNN broadcast…" Ariel said from the other sort of the room at the same time as Jim's HUD pinged with new data input.

"Well let's watch it together." Tychus said jovially, pulling Jim along until they reached the Doc and then popping open his chest holoprojector and starting to play the clip.

The ticker told them exactly what this broadcast was about: "Prince Valerian missing" and "Emperor Mengsk unavailable for comment" were highly amusing to the three standing in the lab, and so was Donny's tone when he started speaking

"This is Donny Vermillion, live from UNN studios on Korhal. Troubling news tonight, as crown Prince Valerian seems to have gone missing."

Kate Lockwell reported on the matter "That's right Donny. Prince Valerian was scheduled to speak at the launch of the Dominion's newest Battlecruiser, the White Star. But the ceremony had to proceed without the prince when he failed to arrive."

The ticker provided another humorous moment: "Kyla Velassi flees courtroom, escapes". Was Dominion security in courts that bad nowadays? Incredible… no wonder they hadn't been able to even find Raynor's Raiders for the longest time (the fact that the Hyperion was touring Coalition Space may have had something to do with it too, but that's another story…)

"Official government sources offered no comment." Donny stated.

Kate Lockwell continued "Whatever the situation, we here at UNN hope the prince is okay."

The clip ended and Raynor chuckled "Oh, Junior's doing just fine… so far."

"Damn straight." Tychus agreed.

* * *

COALITION MILITARY CODEX: HYPERION (BATTLECRUISER, FACTION: RAYNOR'S RAIDERS)

The original Hyperion served Raynor's Raiders loyally for many years. This aging Behemoth-class Battlecruiser was the ship the 4th Hunter Squadron first made contact with. The ship underwent an overhaul after the Coalition made contact and was equipped with a number of Coalition technologies including shields, Omni, Zealot SIMs and Electron Flak. It took several months to mesh the systems and to allow the Adjutant to get used to having a physical, basically human body, with tactile input. Over a year after the overhaul, the Hyperion participated in the Battle of the Citadel, where it was crippled by Sovereign.

As it was running on a skeleton crew that was sitting in the escape pods, controlling the ship, casualties were non-existent, but the Hyperion was done for. Core containment failure reduced the ship to a burnt-out husk before it could be towed to a Ship Gantry. Prepared for the eventuality, the Coalition rebuilt the Hyperion to look effectively the same, but act VERY differently.

The new Hyperion's most distinguishable feature is its luxurious weaponry system, able to match up to those of Coalition Battle Cruisers. The Wing Tip blocks mount within them Heavy Microwave Lasers, which can be deployed and if so will become actuated weapons, able to turn and fire at any angle not blocked by the BC's hull/shields. The belly, under the wings, is equipped with multiple 12-pack Loa Tactical Missile bays. Zapper TMDs dot the hull, with Will-O-The-Wisp TMD Flares providing tactical missile defence in more critical sectors. All over the ship are Zealot SIM and Electron Flak batteries, in addition to many Ravager Point Defences and some Medium Oblivion Cannons that serve the role of medium-powered anti-shipping weaponry. The Electron Flak batteries render the Hyperion effectively invincible to swarms of weak fighter-type craft with their massive splash damage and the Zealots can hunt down the tougher fighters. All these weapons are disguised under plating all over the hull or as part of the plating, but can be deployed if it is so wished. The hammerhead's weapons systems were most difficult to modify (the major ones, minor ones were simple enough), a Sonance Artillery muzzle replacing the top glowing circle on the head, and two Heavy Oblivion Cannons (same as Tempest-class Battleship main gun) making up the two lower glowing circles. When deployed, the Oblivion Cannons are underslung weapons, and are fully traversable and can pitch freely. Even un-deployed, they remain able to fire, but since they are locked in direction to face forward, this option is not used unless the element of surprise is desired.

The Hyperion's new defences are nothing to scoff at either. At least three meters of UEF-standard plating stand between any internal point and the outside of the ship other than the flimsy coverings over the weapon systems. Structural field strength and shield strength are both immense, able to roughly equal a Coalition Battle Cruiser (though DPS is not up to parity). This allows the new Hyperion to hold its ground against anything short of a Protoss Mothership with nigh-ridiculous ease (if properly used, it is actually capable of defeating a Mothership one-on-one, since Motherships are intended to serve as colony ships, space docks, and planetary bombardment vessels, and most weapons are not on the "top" side). Thanks to a fully upgraded "The Hive"-class Engineering Station and self-repair protocols, the Hyperion is able to repair itself even while fighting, providing it with a large advantage over many other non-Coalition ships.

Power systems on the Hyperion are fed by Quantum Core, Mass Effect Core and backup Fusion Reactors (UEF-standard). These allow the use of Quantum, Mass Effect, and Warp Jumps for FTL. They also power the ship's Omni and Soothsayer suites, in addition to optionally powering the Quantum Jammer OR Subspace Jammer. The power system also handles the standard stealth systems, Hive-class Engineering Station, and onboard nanolathe. Said nanolathe is small, only 5 meters tall, enough for parts and Raider/RCV suits, but not, say, Light Assault Bots. Obviously, these same power systems also power weapons.

Quarters on the Hyperion are quite lavish by Koprulu Sector standards and quite crowded by Coalition ship standards. Each set of quarters includes a bedroom and bathroom, however these are rather compressed compared to typical Coalition standards. The bed, for example, leaves armour/weapons storage space beneath it in the flip-up arms locker (the bed is the lid), in Coalition quarters, there is enough space for the rack to slide sideways out from under the bed. Note that only shipboard clothing and armours i.e. Coalition Civilian Armour are to be kept here, Raider armour is too large and is stored in the cargo bay's storage rooms. The desk and seat on the far side of the bed from the door combine desk and console functionality, unlike in Coalition warships. The small bathroom cubicle to the side of the door consists of a toilet and a shower stall, which functions as a sink due to there being an option for water to come from the tap instead of the shower head. All in all, compared to the typical spacious living arrangements of Coalition warships, this is quite austere. This accommodates the thousand or so men and women in the Raiders very well, and new arrivals are almost universally shocked by the luxury of the quarters.

Other facilities on the Hyperion include the cargo bays-turned-gyms, Auditorium (functions as a theatre too), Swimming Pool (thanks to nanolathing technology, the water is always fresh and clear), Laboratory, Armoury, Med bay, Cantina and Mess Hall. The Hyperion has gained a bit of a reputation for being a flying warship of a gourmet restaurant due to the excellent food in the Mess and medium-high end alcohols of the Cantina (the add-on to the mess which serves alcoholic drinks). With all these amenities and the extranet uplink to Coalition Space and from there access to Council Space extranet services, Raiders get to live, train and research in comfort while doing their duty to humanity and to their cause.

END OF CODEX ENTRY

FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE GO TO "RAYNOR'S RAIDERS", ETC.

* * *

A/N: Note that the Hyperion would normally be unable to beat a Mothership, even with its upgrades, however, through superior manoeuvring and close-range slugging, the Hyperion managed to stay away from the heavier weapons of the Mothership for long enough to kill it. The Hive-class engineering station onboard was critical to its survival, and so were the Wraiths, by at least distracting the Mothership's weapons operators a bit.

Note that in terms of main weapons alone and durability, the Hyperion didn't stand a chance in hell against those five Carriers at the same time, the Interceptors would have toasted it. The problem is, the Electron Flak does splash and EMP damage (Coalition gear is extremely hardened, so much so that a typical non-Cybran nuke doesn't faze their electronics, provided the gear in question survives the blast). Hence, Interceptor Shields are knocked down quickly and en masse and the puny craft are torn to bits by the dozens with each flak shell. The Hyperion has dozens of Electron Flak turrets, that's the main problem for the Interceptors, the flak's simply too heavy for such light aircraft.

REVIEW. COMMENT. CRITIQUE.


	16. The Fellowship of the Zerg

A/N: I cannot stress enough that in a stand-up fight, the Hyperion would not have a chance against a Mothership. The five Carriers would have torn it to ribbons if it didn't have the Flak too.

For the record I am disappointed at the lack of reviews for Chapter 15.

* * *

Chapter 16: The Fellowship of the Zerg

* * *

COALITION MILITARY CODEX: VALKYRIE (Raynor's Raiders)

The Valkyrie Missile Frigate was a design first introduced to the Koprulu Sector by the United Erath Directorate Expeditionary Fleet, sent by the government which would be superseded by the more tolerant and less extremist Earth Empire. Through the same Quantum Wormhole that allowed the Terrans of the Koprulu Sector to travel just under a thousand years forward in time, the UED expeditionary fleet arrived in the sector over 1300 years into the future, landing in a Koprulu Sector already firmly established in its power. The Valkyrie was scrapped back in the Earth Empire as too unwieldy and weak, but after Raynor's Raiders' improvements to the design, produced in conjunction with Dominic Maddox, the Valkyrie has become a viable Tier 3.5 Air-Superiority combat craft.

The Valkyrie's old stabilizer fins on either side of the body have been replaced by Nanodart Launchers of the same type and scale as that mounted on Siren-class T2 Cruisers. The main hull has been flattened compared to before, and mounts one chin Electron Flak quad gun and two dorsal ones. It flies in similar style to gunships, with the front angled down, and is only about the same speed as a T1 Interceptor, but the over 1000 DPS AA capability made it a worthwhile unit to field, despite durability being little more than a Restorer's base Structural Field score. However, this is quite an expensive unit, the logic being that since the Nanodart Launchers could pull up to 340 combined DPS anti-ground, it was a worthy price to pay for all the extra firepower, though mathematically it is significantly less economical than T3 Air-Superiority Fighters. The Flak would be far more efficient against large numbers of weak units such as those regularly encountered in the Koprulu Sector.

Jumping is possible, using Mass Effect FTL, but other forms were considered uneconomical for such small craft and were not used. The cargo/passenger capacity of the re-done Valkyrie is approximately equal to the Restorer. Aside from its luxurious weapons systems and size falling between typical Aerospace Units and Coalition Corvettes, little else is truly remarkable about this craft.

END OF CODEX ENTRY

FOR MORE INFROMATION PLEASE SEE "RAYNOR'S RAIDERS", "WRAITH (RAYNOR'S RAIDERS)", ETC.

* * *

_At Moebius Rendezvous Point, Hyperion, October 13, 3868_

"Everything is in motion to begin the final act, the invasion of the primary Zerg hive on Char! Once we begin, there will be no turning back. I shall rendezvous with you as soon as I receive your signal. Ensure that you are fully prepared, Commander, destiny awaits us!"

"Adjutant, what do you think?" Raynor looked toward the woman whose orange circuits pulsed gently as she turned her head.

"The ash-world of Char serves as the Zerg Swarm's base of operations in the Koprulu sector. Its brutal volcanic landscape is riddled with extensive hive colonies and labyrinthine tunnel systems that teem with millions of malevolent Zerg. Once the Char invasion begins you will be unable to leave Char and complete missions on other planets. Are you sure you want to go to Char right now?" The Adjutant paused as she decided her robot-voice didn't suit her appearance anymore "Well okay, there aren't any other missions to do anyways, so I think we should just go ahead with it, Seth's ships will be backing us. If the Dominion pulls something, we can take them, easily, though we should probabl6y call in all our fleet." Said fleet was mainly Valkyries and transports loaded to the brim with resources used in the in-the-field construction/assembly of units should nanolathing be unavailable.

"Alright, I agree, call in the fleet, and call Valerian after they come in and stealth." Raynor sat in his command chair; this could be a long day… The flashes outside the view ports announced the arrival by Quantum Jump of the entire Valkyrie Fleet as the crew had taken to calling it, in addition to the hundred or so Hercules-class Transports filled with minerals and vespene, the ones that didn't regularly follow the Hyperion everywhere.

* * *

_High Orbit over Char, Bucephalus, October 14, 3868, 13:03 Local Time_

Raynor looked out the reinforced bridge windows "Char. If Hell ever existed, this is it, oceans of fire, tectonic storms and an atmosphere that'll cook a man alive." Warfield said behind Raynor, looking at the holographic display of Char and the Dominion battle groups around the planet, Raynor didn't say anything, merely watched the lava planet below the fleet, Seth's Hunter Squadron hanging further out under full stealth so as to not reveal their hand until absolutely necessary. "But we've planned" Raynor frowned at Warfield's next words "for all of that—" He turned to confront the older man, who was wearing Marine Armour, noticeably less intimidating than Raynor's own Raider armour.

"You can't plan for the Zerg, general. They ain't going to fit in to your nice, clean time table." Raynor said with a frown.

"I've led five separate invasions against the swarm. I held the line while you and your terrorist friends hid under a rock." The older man growled.

The clunk of Valerian's boots on the deck interrupted the showdown between the two tacticians "We're all aware of your victories, General. I've invited Commander Raynor here to assist us with any unforeseen contingencies."

Raynor snorted "Well it sounds like you got it all figured out, junior."

Valerian shrugged "I have far too much invested in this undertaking to see it fail." He looked down for a moment and shook his head slowly before walking over to a hologram projector. "Speaking of which, you might particularly enjoy this next step." The Crown Prince actually _winked_ at Raynor, causing Warfield to blink and Raynor, not bothering to show so much respect, rub his eyes theatrically in surprise. Valerian opened up a channel, and a large hologram of Arcturus Mengsk's face appeared on the holoprojector.

"Valerian! I've just received a report you've taken half the fleet! Care to explain yourself, boy?" The man arched an eyebrow.

"Father, I am about to accomplish that which you never could. Today I will defeat the Queen of Blades and secure peace throughout the Dominion. By this act the people will finally know that I am a worthy successor to you." Mengsk's eyebrows had nearly disappeared into his hair by the time his son was finished his little speech.

Mengsk chuckled and shook his head in good humour "I love your gumption, son, but you're in way over your head. What makes you think you have the experience to—" Raynor made a motion with his head and Valerian nodded, stepping back to allow Raynor to push himself in the way of the holoprojector's camera feed. "Raynor" Arcturus at least had the decency to be surprised "I don't know what gutter my son fished you out of, but even you've got to realize that treacherous bitch cannot be saved…And neither can you."

"We'll see about that. And when this is over, you and me got a score to settle." The two men glared, their features twisting into snarls, at each other until Raynor finally closed the channel.

Valerian smiled "Everything I could have hoped for…"

Raynor looked at the Prince before shaking his head "You're playing a dangerous game here, kid."

An alarm klaxon blared throughout the ship, Warfield, having sounded it, immediately reporting "Prince Valerian, we have Zerg attack waves incoming."

Valerian frowned "Already?" They'd only just warped in, after all… he walked over to the window in time to see a rather large swarm of Mutalisks, Corruptors and Devourers rising from the planet as if in a light purple cloud toward his Battlecruisers.

The ships opened fire with everything they had at the flyers, but it wasn't going to be enough. "Clear the bridge! I've got a battle to win." Warfield said, heading over to the holo-table and bringing up a tactical display of the situation.

Raynor's Raider armour bringing up his strategic interface, projecting the full-colour hologram in front of his chest at a comfortable distance "Adjutant, bring in the Valkyrie Fleet, even the cargo ships, we'll be needing the resources. You two, if any Dominion ships or troops go down, make sure they go down in the sector near the main hive cluster. Seth, deploy your ships and Commanders, then try to come back and help out the Dominion ships, we need flak support, lots of it, the Hyperion's not enough." He looked toward the other two men, who were gaping in shock even while issuing commands on the holo-table, and then said "I'll see you boys on the ground." Before walking out on them toward where the Restorer was docked.

* * *

During the ride in the Restorer, Raynor issued the commands to bring the Hyperion straight into the middle of the Zerg attack wave and told the Dominion ships not to follow, as they didn't quite have the upgrades needed to survive the sort of run Raynor and Seth were planning, meeting the Zerg aerospace forces before they could reach the Dominion battle group with all Light, Heavy and Battle Cruisers, Valkyrie Frigates, and having the other units of the fleet act as auxiliaries. The Electron Falk mounted on the aforementioned ships would be invaluable, if only because they didn't quite have enough fighters to deal with such huge numbers, and the smaller ships only had Zealot SIMs for anti-air solutions, though powerful, they simply could not match up against masses of weak targets swarming them, unlike the Cruisers, which had, as with naval units in the Coalition's system, been Fleet AA plus Artillery/Tactical Missile platforms, with the Heavy and Battle Cruisers incorporating Strategic Missile Defence capability, but that didn't matter here, the Flak did.

Over fifty Valkyrie Frigates, upgraded to Coalition standards for anti-air duty, jumped in along with Seth's entire Hunter Squadron between the Dominion Fleet and Zerg Swarm as soon as the Dominion ships ceased firing with orders from Warfield to let friendly ships jump in safely. They opened up on the purple mist that seemingly rose from the planet as one, Zealot missiles firing continuously, at a rate of one missile per two seconds, as soon as the enemies entered maximum range, while the heavier weapons fired forward from every ship in the group that had them, Heavy Microwave Lasers and Phason Lasers, set on diffuse beam, vaporizing whole clusters of Zerg just by sweeping across them. Electron Flak tore into the Zerg flyers as they grew closer, forcing the Zerg to spread out, meeting the groups of Gemini Air Superiority Fighters and Restorer Gunships that screened the larger warships in a vicious dogfight as the larger warships fired on whichever Zerg groups were still unengaged.

"We're being flanked, boys!" Raynor and Seth realized at nearly the same time that the Zerg had begun to abandon this route of attack and started coming in from all directions, converging on the Battlecruisers that were still firing outward toward them. The Valkyries were dispatched to provide flak support that the anti-capital-ship pulse laser batteries of the Battlecruisers (approximately equal to one Ravager's firepower per turret.) With the battle strung out, it was difficult to cover the Dominion battle groups, even as those already on the surface were overrun.

"Where's command? I got no support, I got Zerg coming outta my—" that channel dissolved into static as one friendly base on the strategic display vanished under a wave of purple Zerg contacts. Another channel came through "We're on fire. Repeat, we've lost all thruster power—" a fleeing Command Center disintegrated as more channels began calling for help "They're coming outta the ground—" and "Any station this net, any station this net, we need fire support, we need it now…Ah!" a Zerg screech cut that channel.

Raynor punched his hand as he reached the Hyperion's bridge "Dammit! I told 'em a frontal assault wasn't going to work! She was playing with us the whole time!"

Tychus turned from his console where he was coordinating the Hyperion's Valkyrie Fleet and Wraith fighters with the defence of the Dominion battle group "Well, brother, we're alive at least. Looks like the few battle-groups that did make it to the surface are scattered all over the place, though they did follow our instructions and come down near the main hive…"

"Do you think death is the worst thing that can happen to you here?" Kerrigan transmitted "Infestation is what's coming for you, soon all will serve the swarm!"

Tychus opened a channel to all Dominion forces and roared "She's trying to get in our heads, men. We gotta keep it together!"

"We need to rally as many survivors as we can, Thalia? Ivan? Dominic?"

"We're on it already." The three Commanders on the ground reported, they'd all taken up position near the Primary Hive Cluster in a single main base, with Thalia taking care of Economy, Dominic Defence and Ivan Offence.

"Commanders, Dominion battle-groups are still landing all around you but they're in pretty bad shape and coming under heavy attack from the Zerg."

"Alright, let's get out there and rescue their sorry butts! They don't deserve to die for a mistake by their commanders!"

The commanders nodded and went to work, blazing north with a group of T2 Assault Bots (the scaled-down Paragons on the Escort Carrier and Coalition Battle Cruiser really made a difference, as the three had only been down for ten minutes), running over the Zerg that stood in their way and bringing along a couple of Raiders with a truck to pick up the five Marines as the Assault Bots laid waste to one of the Spore Cannons. The huge towers had proven trouble for the Dominion fleet as they'd fired acid with anti-orbital capabilities. The Assault Bots then crossed the barrier of rock to the west by blasting it to bits, and killed another Spore Cannon before turning south back toward base in anticipation of another drop pod.

"Matt, keep me and the three down there updated on those drop pods as they get to Char." Raynor had ordered after picking up the first load of grateful Marines.

A moment later "Sir, I'm tracking an incoming drop pod. It should be landing close to the Commanders' position any second."

"Alright, let's get out there and find 'em before the Zerg do!" Ivan sounded rather enthusiastic as he sent the host of T2 Assault Bots southeast toward the projected arrival zone of the second drop pod, stomping/mowing the Zerg in the way down. The Truck with Raiders moved out after the walkers, all of which were covered by six Banger Flak units and an Asylum T2 Shield Generator.

"Raynor's Raiders! We sure are glad to see you boys! Wait, what the…" After the just-rescued Dominion Marines and Marauders finished gaping at the towering war machines that surrounded them and held off the Zerg, one asked the Raiders that were guiding them and helping the wounded into the truck (after administering medi-gel) "But where's General Warfield?"

"I'm assuming command, here! You men fall in with us and we'll see to finding your General!" Raynor told them, the few units he actually controlled were the trucks provided for his raiders and any friendly units, a UEF-style Residential building set up for the soldiers to have a place to sort-of relax in, with a parking lot next to it for retrieved vehicles. "These are my allies, the Coalition of Species, they're here to help with the Zerg problem."

"Yes, sir!" The Dominion troops shouted as one, inside the truck, all thinking that the initial fight may have gone poorly, but the war could and would be won if they had so many of these massive war machines to field against the Zerg.

"I so love the way you kindle their hope, Jim. By all means - bring them all to my doorstep. It'll be like lambs to the slaughter." Kerrigan cackled, another Battlecruiser breaking up overhead from Spore Cannon anti-orbital fire.

"Don't listen to her! Stay focused and we'll make it out of here together!" Raynor shouted over the PA in the bus, the men inside, Raider and Dominion, roared in approval "Now you boys just sit back, the Coalition is willing to do the work here, and they're not concerned about casualties, and yes it is for the reasons you're thinking of." The men chuckled, as they'd been thinking there wouldn't be any considering the machines they had.

After the Raiders from that truck got back to base and the survivors were brought into the Residential Building for R&R, Matt noted something else while guffawing at the faces of the Dominion troops upon seeing their new quarters for the duration of this battle here "Sir, I've detected a drop pod in your vicinity." He put down a marker and the Assault Bots Moved out, this time with a couple Loyalist Siege Assault Bots in the group.

"Hmm, a factory, not useful for now, but keeping it is better than nothing…" Raynor commented to Ivan once they'd gathered up the survivors "I'll fly it over to the base, that alright with you?"

"Go ahead, sir." Ivan Brackman shrugged in the feed.

The fourth drop pod was to the east, and so the bots sortied again, though this time the Tier 3 units stayed behind, amassing for an attack to scour the area to the northwest and southwest of close-by Zerg bases.

"Sending coordinates to a nearby drop pod." Horner intoned as the fourth pod was rescued, with a couple squads of Marines and Medics being picked up and brought back to base. "They're coming down faster now…" The bots, however, were still a whole lot faster, as the T3 Siege Assault Bots and Heavy Armour units (in this case Harbingers for superior speed) scurried over quickly, mowing down Zerg opposition in the area and securing a Starport, Raven and Medivac Dropship, both of which went in the parking lot next to the Residential Building while the Starport was landed nearby.

"Sir, I read multiple drop pods entering the atmosphere. I think your forces can handle them." Horner told Thalia, Ivan and Dominic, who laughed and rolled their eyes as columns of T2/T3 Assault Bots and Flak Artillery, with Mobile Shield Generator coverage, scurried over the landscape outside the Zerg bases in the area, patrolling it and allowing easy liberation of drop pods landing in the area.

Four more drop pods later, Thalia decided she had enough units to destroy the southwest Zerg base, which, with Spook-class Spy Planes to detect burrowed units that hadn't been thoroughly squashed to pulp, was absurdly easy. The Disintegrator Pulse Lasers, Heavy Electron Bolters, Grenade Launchers and High Intensity Lasers of the various units (former 3 for Loyalist Siege Assault Bots, the last for Harbinger Heavy Armour units) wreaked absolute havoc on the Zerg base and units, burning through them with ridiculous ease, while those that were too small to be singularly targeted, broodlings and Zerglings, became victims of Electron Flak in anti-ground mode.

Though Anti-Air units could hit ground, their attacks were usually ineffective against the enhanced structural fields that came with being on the ground. Anti-ground weapons, on the other hand, usually could not actuate high enough or fast enough to be effective at killing air units. The splash damage, though minimal by Coalition standards against ground units, of the Electron Flak tore the smaller Zerg to ribbons while the Lasers, Electron Bolters and Grenade Launchers baked the larger Zerg. In many cases, the heat and pressure from the vaporizing flesh blasted the monstrous things apart. Ivan's Gemini Air-Superiority Fighters had cleared the skies rapidly and effectively, making the attack even more of a cakewalk than it would have been otherwise.

In the meantime, Ivan was happily disassembling the northwest Zerg base into its component atoms as two dozen Restorers mowed down anything remotely Zerg in that area. One took a Spore Cannon shot from the east, and was unfazed but for losing shields and some structural integrity. Like all air units, shields and over-shields were upgrade options, but sadly the Restorer had been such an efficient design when first created that the shield could not be as strong as the Broadsword or even the Whailer's (the two T3 Heavy Gunships, the Restorer is classed as AA Gunship) shields, so in total "Health" the Restorer was, with all upgrades, inferior, though its good AA guns, acceptable anti-ground firepower, slightly better speed and cheaper price tag still made it the best all-purpose air unit.

Dominic was using Serenity Heavy Mobile Artillery to provide some support for the others and to demolish the smaller Zerg base to the northeast of their current base location. His line of Othuum Heavy Armour units (formerly known as Othuum T3 Siege Tanks) and Janus Fighter-bombers were utterly laying waste to the base, setting the structures and creep ablaze before the ground units blasted what remained to smoking bits. Air space had been cleared already by the Janus Fighter-bombers before the line of Heavy Armour rolled into the base's remains.

After a moment of consideration, and watching his friends at work, Ivan said one word: "Havoc."

"What was that, Ivan?" Thalia asked.

"I said 'Havoc', you know, Julius Caesar?"

"Ah, I almost forgot you liked Shakespeare too…" Thalia leaned back, smirking, just before both said "Cry 'Havoc!' and let slip the dogs of war, right?" in unison before chuckling and going back to work, watching the raiders pick up the last of the Drop Pods as a Dominion Battlecruiser fell from the skies to their east.

"Seems we've got a rescue mission on our hands, you two lovebirds, stop mooning over each other and focus! I'll be directing the ground forces, you two, feel free to direct the air forces here."

"Mayday mayday this is General Warfield. My ship is suffering terrible… terrible damage." The old, grizzled general, in Marine Armour, managed to get off before his ship hit the ground and the transmission went static.

The three Coalition commanders shared a look before attack-moving their respective attack forces on a path through the Zerg base in the southeast and up the eastern portion of the Op Area, smashing their way through the Zerg Hatchery and Lair cluster in the south as the went. Thalia decided to keep a recording of Siege Assault Bots and Heavy Armour units rushing through a Zerg base, sending Zerg flying into the air comically when they were run over or kicked by the bots. It was almost anime-like in its comicality, you could trace the advance of the Coalition units through the massive hive complex simply by (from a distance) watching the cloud of dense smoke from burning Zerg flesh and bits flying into the sky, including more than a few Zerg that had been kicked to death or thrown up by explosions.

"We're holding position but we need support…soon." It would take a few minutes for the Coalition land units to effectively stem the tide from the east into the basin south of Warfield's plateau and get onto said plateau. Hence, Raynor was on his way, literally.

Kerrigan laughed over the transmission "Some invasion."

Raynor shouted into his comm. as he and his men boarded the Hyperion's remaining Restorer T3 AA Gunship to shuttle down to the planet "We're on our way General! Just hold on…Damn, he can't even hear us."

Kerrigan snorted "Warfield won't be alive for very much longer. My pets will be drawn to his fear and that of his men. There's absolutely nothing you can do."

"You're sure talking a lot, Kerrigan. Maybe the fear you smell is your own." _Yes, Jim, that's all too true, for her at least…_ the Sarah Kerrigan part of her brain snickered while the Queen of Blades rolled her eyes from outside Sarah's prison cell. _You should take a good look at our body, Sarah, maybe then you shall understand that we are not so different after all, for as you know, we are two corpses, in one grave…_ Sarah stuck her mental tongue out at the Zerg woman before screaming as she was lashed by the Queen of Blades' energies.

"You were fools to come here!" a large horde of Zerg flyers went after the Restorer as it flew down through the atmosphere toward Warfield's location, Zealot AA Missiles cycling as fast as possible, Quad Light Laser firing back toward the Swarm.

"We've reached the crash-site!" Tychus announced as he leapt from the Restorer, followed by the others, still over a kilometre above ground level. "With any luck, old Warfield's still alive and kicking!"

"Death from above!" Raynor led the shout as the Raiders flew in an arrowhead formation toward the downed _Helios_ dead ahead, firing their Gauss Chainguns in a continuous stream of death ahead and down into the Zerg assaulting the entrenched Dominion Marines, strafing the endless sea of carapaced backs as they flew toward the Battlecruiser, the restorer serving to tie up the heavier Zerg air units behind them.

* * *

_Char, Near Crashed Battlecruiser Helios, Fifty Kilometres west of Primary Hive Cluster, October 14, 3868_

Spent shell cartridges clattered to the ground continuously in a steady stream as the Dominion Marine manning this station fired upon the encroaching Swarm, until a needle spine of a Hydralisk punched through and shattered his visor, splattering brains and bleed over the inside of the helmet as the dead man stumbled back and fell on his back, Gauss Rifle clattering to the ground as General Warfield stepped up to the station and opened up on the Zerg. After laying out several dozen Zerglings, Warfield ran dry on ammunition.

"Shit!" He rummaged in his armour for an ammo drum and looked toward the fallen Marine's rifle before noting that the red contacts on his HUD were too close. Extending and locking his Gauss Rifle's bayonet into position, the old man met a leaping Zergling straight in its weak spot, its belly, with the bayonet, slicing it to tatters and hurling it aside before diving behind the trench rampart and out of the way of Glaive Worm strikes from three Mutalisks, being thrown heavily to the ground by the blasts, his rifle flying away from him. A helmet from a dead marine bounced by, the decapitated man's head still leaking blood across the ashen surface of Char from inside the useless helmet.

Warfield heard some of his troops in the fortifications call out "Fall back! We're cut off!" as he watched them fire on the Zerg attack wave, while picking himself up from where he'd landed, winded… he was getting old alright, no wonder why he'd retired years ago.

"Belay that order! Stand your ground!" He pointed, picking himself up from the ground onto hands and knees, shouting the order just before the seven Marines who'd begun to retreat were cut down by a hail of Hydralisk needle spines. Warfield's arm began to fall slowly from where it was as the man heaved a sigh, the ground began to shake under him, before the ashen soil of Char erupted under his hands and threw him back, spinning just in time to catch himself with his hands as a snarling Hydralisk un-burrowed under him. It roared into his face as he rolled over. Another one had broken through the trench wall, cutting through the plates with its monomolecular scythes. The old General pushed himself backward toward a pile of crates as the two grunting beasts, each three meters tall, advanced on him, one drawing in its scythe arms and body in preparation for launching a volley of needle spines. Warfield blocked with his right arm, hissing in pain as the poisoned, grooved, reverse-barbed spines dug into his flesh, having torn through and become embedded into the power armour he wore. That same Hydralisk brought its scythe arm down upon the General, who caught the carapaced appendage in his right hand, ignoring the pain of the spines lodged in his arm, holding the scythes away from his face, while his left coiled back and gave the snarling creature a vicious left hook. That Hydralisk was knocked against a pile of crates and seemingly winded as it slid to the ground, heaving.

Seeing its brethren harmed by this pitiful creature enraged the second Hydralisk, which roared and pounced on Warfield, pinning him flat against the ground before rearing back with its right scythe arm. The arm disappeared in a cloud of gore from a shot from behind, causing the monstrous creature to roar in pain as it spun its head about just in time for another Gauss Chaingun slug to tear its head to bits.

"Heard you boys needed some help." The black-armoured Raider shrugged, shooting the first, wounded Hydralisk before clipping his Gauss Chaingun back onto his leg, due to the temporary lull in Zerg activity. "We came as fast as we could."

Tychus Findlay, in his blue Raider armour, vaulted into the trench "Isn't no time to be lying down on the job, General." He smirked before using the armour's strength to throw the Hydralisk bodily off the General. Jim Raynor jumped into the trench too, extending a hand to help Warfield up.

"You magnificent son of a bitch!" Warfield grabbed Raynor's hand and got up, his rather prickly right arm going around Raynor's armoured shoulders "You're the last man I expected to see!"

Tychus took note of something on the trench ramparts "Boys…I hate to interrupt but…the natives are getting restless." The trench was beginning to shake slightly, the spent cartridges clattering together and falling off the ramparts to the trench floor. The tow men walked up toward the ramparts as Raynor removed the needle spines and his armour dispensed medi-gel straight into the General's injuries.

"Ow, don't you know first aid procedure… oh. Well, I gotta get me one of those…" Warfield said, watching the readouts on his injured arm stabilize and move toward normal before his eyes, the progress of the Hydralisk venom being halted and repaired rapidly. Then he stopped talking, seeing the wave of carapaced backs advancing toward the trench line, now fortified by Raiders. They provided heavy weapons support and extended their over-shield radii at the cost of shield density (same total power, larger radius, cannot build up energy stores for flight or cloak) to protect Dominion troops near each of them, allowing the Dominion troops to use bunker-like tactics, with minor modifications. "Thanks for the rescue…But I hope it ain't just the two of you and your two dozen troops…"

"General. You know I've always got a card to play, remember Korhal?"

"How could I forget?" a large number of flight trails crossed the skies as Janus Fighter/Bombers came in from the north and opened their firebomb bays, raining down streams of White Phosphorus, Thermite and napalm mixture firebombs into the Zerg horde, burning them to ashes. The shaking of the ground became a more rhythmic pounding as the more durable Zerg were engaged and overwhelmed by Loyalist and Titan Siege Assault Bots, Harbinger and Othuum Heavy Armour units while Bangers and Athanahs kept them damage-proof and the skies clear.

Warfield whistled at the size of the machines. "You might be a damn pirate, Raynor, but whatever happens later, you saved my boys, all of the ones you could and more, today and I won't forget that."

The Restorer, having returned from leading the Zerg on a merry chase (straight through a group of Coalition aircraft), landed to pick up the three while Hercules-class freighters, outfitted with three Electron Flak batteries each, picked up the other survivors of the Helios. Raiders healed the wounded that they could and used stasis field emitters to stabilize the more serious cases for treatment on the Hyperion or on one of Seth's ships. The ships were using their engineering drones to convert their cargo bays into med bays even as the evacuation of the wreck below proceeded and the main force of Coalition land units headed east to clear out Zerg to the east.

"All in a day's work, General." Raynor said, stepping onto the T3 AA Gunship while his raiders helped the other men. Warfield's arm was stabilized for now, but if he wanted to ensure full functionality, he'd have to get a checkup with the Adjutant's medical programs. They weren't as good as the main medical crews, but those were tied up with the other survivors

* * *

_Char, Warfield Forward Base, Forty Kilometres west of Primary Hive Cluster, October 14, 3868_

"Is something on your mind, Valerian?" Raynor asked when his comm. opened up with a transmission from the Prince.

"I just wanted to congratulate you and through you your allies, who have thus far refused communications, Commander. I doubted there was anyone alive that could have turned our calamitous invasion into a victory."

"We haven't achieved victory yet. And if I know Kerrigan, the worst is still to come."

"I didn't anticipate her reacting so quickly. She seems to be a…fierce opponent. Perhaps we wouldn't have lost so many men if I'd—"

Raynor snorted "Now isn't the time for second guessing, junior. If we survive what's next, you'll have the whole rest of your life to wallow in guilt. For now, we buck up and get 'er done." Raynor closed the channel and got a ping from the Hyperion, Matt apparently finding an important UNN broadcast "Patch it through, Matt."

The screen his holo-projector put before him showed Kate Lockwell talking "This is Kate Lockwell reporting live for UNN. Stunning news tonight as massive numbers of Zerg began pulling back to their main hive on the planet Char. While they aren't giving up the worlds they've conquered, most of the aliens appear to be massing near the fiery planet." While the ticker rolled "ZERG ADVANCE HALTED" and "RAYNOR'S REBELLION GOES QUIET".

Vermillion spoke next "What can it mean Kate?" That was the most pointless question ever to come from the man's mouth, in Raynor's opinion.

"We really don't know, Donny. We'll keep you posted with any further developments." Kate replied, the ticker rolling "HUNT CONTINUES FOR RENEGADE STAR KYLA VELASSI"

Raynor frowned gravely "I know what it means. And it ain't good."

The Coalition towers and walls established the barricade around the forward outpost quite thoroughly, while the Raiders used their Gauss Chainguns and the Dominion Marines used their Gauss Rifles simply for the fun of it. Tychus saluted lazily as Raynor walked by "Lock and load, Jimmy-boy! These blasted critters just keep coming! What we got here's the biggest turkey shoot in the galaxy!" The ex-convict yelled, firing a continuous stream of ammunition toward the Zerg, the Dominion Marines eyeing his death dealing tool with envy, usually while they reloaded and Tychus simply kept firing.

"Hate to spoil all your fun, Tychus, but we gotta start pushing toward the primary hive cluster, pronto!"

"That's a tall order ole buddy, for us ground-pounders that is, between those Nydus worms coming down on us and the fliers overhead coming down from the orbital platforms, we'll get hammered if we stray too far away from the Coalition units!"

"You're always an inspiration, Tychus." Raynor shook his head as he walked over to Warfield's computer console, inside the recently put up UEF Residential Structure that now serving as quarters. "How're you holding up, General?"

"Fine now that your medics have fixed me up, wonderful quarters you got here. Wonder how they set up such luxurious buildings so fast…" Warfield looked pointedly toward the ceiling "I've decided to hand over all command to you; you've got more experience against the Zerg, fighting in the Brood War and all that…"

"I understand. I know that isn't easy for you."

"Easy?" Warfield chuckled "Son, I'm getting off easy compared to what you got ahead of you. To reach the main hive, you'll have to choose…" He brought up a hologram of the two main threats to the advance and the deployment of the Artefact "between taking out their ground reinforcements or their air support. There isn't time for both…"

"Don't worry, General. I'll deal with the Zerg. Also, I do believe there will be time for both of those missions, just sit back, watch, and laugh."

"Oh believe me, I will be laughing alright, you Coalition buddies even stocked this place with popcorn…" Warfield reached out with one armoured hand and grabbed a piece to pop into his mouth. "Though I wonder where they are?"

"They're in their Armoured Command Units, controlling those walkers and structures here in this base, so we're going to let them do most of the macro-operational work; we're only really needed for covert or cramped-spaces operations." Raynor paused as the communicator beeped.

* * *

"Sir, uh…" The Dominion Marine and his buddies took a step back as Tychus whirled to face them, his Gauss Chaingun still pointed at and hosing down the Zerg attack waves.

"What?" Tychus growled, snickering internally at the obviously intimidated body language of the Marines.

"Can we have a turn? It's been a while since we got any kills, and you look like you could use lunch…"

"Heh, well, you boys have fun, but if the Zerg end up getting close enough for those towers to activate despite our turkey-shooting, you're dead, remember that?" The much bulkier and more intimidating Raider power suit loomed over the Marines, who nodded rapidly. Tychus snorted as he stepped down from the ramparts and let the group of Marines climbed on and began firing.

* * *

Valerian spoke "We've secured our landing zone thanks to you, Commander. General Warfield believes an attack on the primary hive is suicide under current conditions. A diversionary attack to cripple part of the Zerg defences will give us the opportunity we need."

Tychus had come in for some food, carrying his carton of chow mien and slurping it down, he said through his food "Y'know, I've been thinking…"

Raynor fake-recoiled "Scares me more than the Zerg…"

Tychus continued after swallowing "We're gonna' to have to take out those Nydus worms before we can make a move on the main hive. Them Zerg bursting up under or behind us wherever they please isn't exactly conducive to our health and well-being."

"Well, placing charges at the right spots in their Nydus network could flood the whole system with lava." Raynor thought for a moment before turning to where the General was seated, suddenly noting the giant popcorn tub sitting on the desk "What's your take, General?"

"It's dangerous, but it could work. Bigger problem's still their fliers. Even if we could move our units forward, we can't possibly provide full air cover for the ground troops while the skies are contested."

"Any suggestions?"

"Intel shows eighty percent of the Zerg fliers in this area nest on a system of infested platforms hanging in orbit." Warfield highlighted the platform in question "We take that down, we'll own the air."

Tychus scratched his head "Hell, if this platform's so important, why not just nuke it?"

Warfield shook his head "The nests are burrowed deep into the superstructure. Surface detonations won't do it with our tactical nukes, I wish we still had strategic ones, but after Korhal… Wait, we'd need to land a strike force on the platform and take it apart piece by piece, can't risk it crashing on top of us, too much mass, too much damage, it needs to stay up there. It's your call, Raynor."

* * *

A/N: So comes the beginning of the end…


	17. The Twin Missions

A/N: We witness the power of Hanson, Stetmann, Swann, Raynor, and Tychus.

Also, good to see people actually noticed the Gravemind quote. The truth will be unveiled in SupCom: The Reclaimers when that rolls around (probably after Heart of the Swarm AT LEAST).

About questions on the Valkyrie, please read the Codex CAREFULLY. Dominic Maddox, as mentioned in the first chapter I believe, was the guy who went with Swann to check out some tech and talk upgrades, he's the tech-dude of the Thalia-Ivan-Dominic group. Note that all AA weapons suffer significant damage penalties when firing on ground targets, but against small targets, they're still effective (or for Temporal Fizz Launchers, still useful at slowing units down, if only momentarily for the more massive units).

* * *

Chapter 17: The Twin Missions

_Char, Warfield Forward Base, Forty Kilometres west of Primary Hive Cluster, October 14, 3868_

"We can do both," Raynor toggled the transmission settings on his suit "Seth, choose one of your commanders to head up the attack on the platform, if you can."

"No problem, Jim, just tell us when to get started."

"Ideally ASAP, Seth, good luck."

"That's a nice strategy, Commander." Warfield nodded "Good hunting!"

"See ya, General, just send us any data you might find useful for us, and give your arm a rest, it'll be as good as new if you use it, but the medi-gel doesn't completely take away the pain."

"Good luck, Raynor, and whoever Seth chooses… who is Seth anyways?"

"An old friend of mine, one of the top Generals of the Coalition of Species, you'll like him, I'll introduce you two when this mess is over."

"I'll hold you to that." Warfield nodded "He's not human, is he?"

"No, he's not. And before you ask, he's not Protoss either, or Xel'Naga for that matter, but most of the Coalition of Species is human… I'll leave the teaser at that."

"You're more annoying than the average video game teaser sometimes, you know that?"

"I would hope I knew that, or I'd be an idiot."

Tychus, after finishing his food, discarding the carton, and going to the bathroom, finally cut into the conversation "Good call, Jimmy. Let's give the Zerg a lesson in how we do things Heaven's Devils style!"

"Any advice, Adjutant?" Raynor asked, opening up that comm. channel.

"Deep scan analysis has detected three fault lines converging beneath the area of the Primary Hive Cluster. Detonation of seismic charges in all three locations will redirect lava into the adjacent caverns." The Adjutant replied, scratching one of the few orange circuits on her cheek absently while fiddling with her long brown hair.

"Any intel on what we'll be facing down there?" Raynor raised an eyebrow.

"Negative, Commander. The intervening rock layers prevent accurate detection of Zerg bio-signatures. Caution is advised." She finished adjusting her bio-synthetic fusion body's appearance and got back to business after putting in a hairband.

Tychus let out a grunt of understanding "We're gonna need some more boys to carry the charges, if nothing else."

Raynor looked at Tychus "I've been in these tunnels before. The more guys we take, the riskier it gets. I'd rather bring a smaller, more experienced crew down there than a whole regiment."

Warfield put in his own two cents after taking a drag from his drink's straw while watching his troops chat across the foyer. "I might have just the men for you. Some of my best, all decorated combat veterans with lousy discipline records. You'll love 'em."

"Sounds good, General, but I got my own crew for this. Sides, does 'em good to get outside once in a while." Raynor made a none-too-subtle head gesture toward Tychus, who grinned and raised a hand in a victory sign. Indeed, it would do Egon, Ariel, Rory and Tychus some good to take a walk with him…

Warfield nodded in approval, chewing on his Energy Bar Cigar he'd gotten from the dispenser "Some squads took cover in the tunnels during the landing so you might be able to find some reinforcements down there. I'll contact you if I detect their transponders." He looked up from the hologram at Raynor.

The black-armoured Raider nodded "Alright, you do that, but I can't guarantee anything. This isn't a rescue mission."

"Well, if it's possible, help 'em, that's all I can ask for." Warfield sucked in, inhaling the refreshing herbal oils. "By the way, Findlay, your Cigars ain't half bad! Where'd you get the beef jerky recipe?" Indeed, every single Dominion Marine in the building, or who had gotten rescued by the raiders, was enjoying or had enjoyed at least one of the snacks. The whole foyer of the building had a pleasant scent of mint and some other herbs to it.

"Well as soon as I showed the jail guards how I could cook, I got put to work cooking food for the prisoners." Tychus shrugged "I could've sworn I saw some guards sneak some of it every once in a while. Wasn't easy making the ass the guards gave me to work with taste good, but I managed, nine years can teach you a lot of tricks." Raynor was gaping at his friend, who laughed at the expression on his face. Warfield chuckled and then went back to his tactical/strategic display holo table.

"I doubt you can pull off both things at once without any hitches but I'll give you the data on the platform anyways. The Zerg fliers are using this old orbital platform" Highlight "as their base of operations. It's actually made up of several smaller platforms tethered together in geostationary orbit." He zoomed in to show the thing. "The nests are too deep inside to destroy with a bombardment, but clearing the whole thing with ground forces will be costly."

Raynor thought for a moment. "Adjutant, what's keeping that thing in orbit? Has it got power?"

The cybernetic woman nodded on his HUD and her voice drifted out from the suit's speakers "Affirmative. Thermal readings indicate intense heat coming from the platforms. Core temperatures are kept stable by a series of coolant towers, still operational despite the Zerg infestation."

Raynor clapped his hands together "Perfect. There's your answer, general. We get onboard and destroy the coolant towers on each section. The reactors will go critical and take care of the Zerg for us."

Warfield nodded "Excellent plan. You missed your calling, Raynor, you would have made an outstanding staff officer, I hope your allies can pull this off, which they probably can." He gestured out the front door's glass, outside of which a Loyalist Siege Assault Bot's feet could be seen, well, one foot, or the bottom part thereof, since the other (and the top of the foot they could see) was obstructed from view due to sheer size of the machine and of its limbs.

Raynor shook his head and chuckled "I reckon I'm right where I'm meant to be, general. Now let's get saddled up and hit that platform. Kerrigan won't be giving us a second chance. Seth, you got all that?"

"Yep, one of my Commanders is already starting work on a SML."

"You sure that's wise, Seth? Which SML are we talking about? What if the thing crashes on us?"

"Just a plain old Liberator, I'm not pissed enough to pull a Yolona Oss yet. And don't worry, with the right targeting there isn't going to be anything crashing on your location, now, in a scattered circle around Char centered on your current location and the platform's location, maybe." Seth grinned, spreading his mandibles.

"Alright, Seth, go ahead, but make sure none of it crashed on us, alright?"

"You got it, Raynor. See you in a bit. When you're ready, we'll begin the advance on the Primary Hive Cluster."

* * *

_Char, Subterranean Catacombs, October 14, 3868_

"Let's introduce these boys to a little Human ingenuity, open fire boys!" Raynor ordered, as the squad's Gauss Chainguns, Phasic SMGs (for Hanson and Stetmann) and assorted other weapons for the three Raiders opened up. They had already gone down two levels from the surface, and they hadn't come across anything until now.

"Heh, these Zerg aren't as terrible as I'd thought…" She said, gunning down some more Zerg as the group proceeded west "With the right technology, well…"

Hanson's combat armour had been specially modified from Aeon Light armour to allow her to use her scythes freely as well as boosted the rudimentary Psionic capabilities the infestation had left her with. She could now mind-control Zerg units for three divided by the units' Control requirement minutes, in other words, she could dominate a Zergling for six minutes (or six for one minute) before the creature shook it off, a Hydralisk for three minutes, and an Ultralisk for thirty seconds. This ability could only control one unit at a time, however, and took 4x control points of unit in seconds for her to recover between the end of one use and the beginning of another. This was established by careful testing after her de-infestation.

"Quit hogging all the fun, Jimmy, Ari. Let me try out these Sonance grenades…" The others looked at him in shock; most Raiders had at least used Sonance Grenades once, if only to clear out larger Zerg strains "I haven't gotten a good reason yet, don't stare at me like that!"

"Meh, whatever, go ahead…" The group stood back as Tychus lobbed one of the stick-capable plasma resonance devices and left a crater in the ground where a Spine Crawler, Creep Tumour and some other Zerg once were.

"HOT DAMN!" Tychus exclaimed, looking at the charred, steaming crater.

"Tychus, I wasn't drunk when I told you Sonance grenades were powerful, you know." Raynor chipped in, as the five strolled casually over the disintegrating Creep. "If shove in its mouth it can blow a Brutalisk's head apart."

"Well I gotta use 'em more often then…"

"Careful Tychus, your Electron Grenades might fabricate one per second at most but Sonance Grenades take five seconds to fabricate, and I could only fit two slots in the bandolier, not five like the Electron ones." Swann reminded Tychus, it had been the best he and Dominic had managed to squeeze out of the Raider power suit without making it absurdly large like Marauder suits.

"The motion detector's off the scale! Ariel, what say you try checking for targets you can control?"

"Well…" Hanson's eyebrows went up, as reflected on her helmet optic light pattern "They still have Lurkers around here? Those things are old-school… it'll be useful here though, with that convenient chokepoint… almost feels like we're in some sort of video game… there, got it." The Lurker they'd taken note of some time ago un-burrowed, the large spider-like creature turning and scuttling over to get a better angle on the choke point before burrowing again, readying its subterranean spines, from which the Spine Crawler concept had been derived. Raynor ran over and lured the Zerglings over into the narrow chokepoint once the Lurker had finished burrowing. What ensued was a massacre as the Lurker ripped the rushing Zerglings to shreds in the straight and narrow pass. After the board was clear, and Hanson was beginning to get a bit strained with controlling the thing, having held it for nearly eighty seconds already according to her HUD timer, Tychus shot the thing dead the moment Hanson un-burrowed it, the creature, still ordered to Hold Position and do nothing, simply died and Hanson let out a deep breath.

"You alright, Doc?" Stetmann asked, the Doctor had her hands on her knees and was breathing rather hard. Stetmann administered some Psi-medications to help with her energy level.

"I'll be fine, just takes a few seconds to recuperate mentally, damn that wasn't as easy as I'd expected… Zerg actually can more or less actively repel unauthorized mental invaders… amazing." Hanson stood back up and the group began moving again "The winding design of the catacombs seem amazingly inefficient for a species such as the Zerg… perhaps they were built specifically to trap intruders?" She wondered as the squad almost casually annihilated another group of Zerg defences to the east with a Grenade from Tychus and good old fashioned gunfire.

A transmission ping rang out in Raynor's helmet just before Warfield's holo-screen opped up "Raynor? Can you hear me?"

Raynor nodded "I read you, General. Go ahead."

"Some of my men are nearby." The General highlighted a location slightly north of their projected path through the tunnels "They're pinned down. Help 'em out and they'll join you."

"No problem, already on it." Raynor said as they came across a rock barrier that they left for now, heading north, through a rather large number of Spine Crawlers (dealt with by Nanodarts and Grenades) and strolled up to the four Marines and one Medic that had gotten trapped down here.

"Raynor? Hot damn they sent the big guns for us!"

"Yes, well. What can I say?" Stetmann shrugged, causing his Raider suit's modifications to jiggle slightly, it wasn't that much, just a single Cybran Engineering Drone mounted on the back and a scaled-up power core designed to handle feeding shield AND repair energy to other soldiers, in addition to an enhanced medi-gel dispenser. However, this precluded use of more than Coalition-issue small-arms, which could tear through tank armour, but still.

After blasting apart the rock barrier to the south, they moved west somewhat cautiously, due to the suspicious absence of Zerg forces "Jimmy, you need stuff fixed, I'm your guy. This crawling around in caves…that guy I'm not."

"Swann, if I didn't know better, I'd say you're scared!"

Tychus snorted and turned to the other Raider "Yellow. I knew it."

Swann frowned "It isn't that. Just…weapons, tools, they make sense to me. Caves and Zerg, just isn't my cup of tea."

"Well. I'm scared." Stetmann said, shifting uncomfortably.

"Uh, I was talking about this stuff, you idiots, see? That rock is yellow!" Tychus pointed, Raynor visor-palmed and shook his head as they walked past the aforementioned rock "It might be that Jorium stuff, no wonder the Queen of Blades has such a powerful psionic signature…"

"Uh, Tychus, my scans are reading that rock as containing sulphur, hence the yellowness…" Hanson stated.

"Oh… right." Tychus said after a brief moment of silence "I knew that."

Stetmann suddenly squealed in alarm as contacts began showing up on Radar and Omni "Ah!"

Tychus, Swann and Raynor chucked grenades at one Nydus Worm each while Hanson controlled the last and ordered it to sit there and do nothing while she hurled her own grenade after fumbling for the bandolier. Stetmann had opened fire on the few Zerg warriors that managed to pull out of the first three Worms, the last not having disgorged any due to Hanson's control.

"Huh. Was that it?"

"This is it. Swann, I've marked the fault line with a flare, plant one of those charges near it." Raynor pointed while turning to engage some Zerg.

"You got it, cowboy." Swann started setting up the charge while the others covered him from the Nydus Worms that began cropping up all over the area. Thankfully (depending on your point of view), one disgorged an Ultralisk, which immediately resulted in said Ultralisk engaging the other Zerg and soaking up fire for the squad while they sat back and watched, ready to kill the creature once Hanson's control ran out. Instead of having to do that, she sent it rampaging down one of the Nydus Worms' maws and they killed the creature, thus collapsing its tunnel on the unfortunate Ultralisk which had solved their Zerg troubles for them.

The charge set, the five men and women blasted through a rock barrier and headed south, the rescued Dominion troops merely tagging along. They were immediately, for lack of a better term, Zerg rushed by a horde of Infested Terrans. "Oh… this must be where they take their prisoners…" Stetmann commented as they were detected.

"…And infest 'em. There's no helping these guys. We gotta put 'em outta their misery." The Infested proved to be absolutely no trouble as the five Raiders took the lead and mowed down entire columns of Infested at once with Gauss Chaingun fire, each hypersonic penetrator slug punching through over a dozen Infested without difficulty, in fact, Raynor even managed to get 75 kills in one shot with patient aiming.

"Damn, you beat me that round; let's see about round two…" Tychus grumbled, his highest, due to lack of patience, was 29 kills in one shot. "Sure are some ugly suckers down here." The headed south down some winding tunnels before encountering more Zerg and dealing with them in the manner suggested by Tychus: "Damn you freaks are ugly! Let's waste 'em!"

Raynor and co. came to a long, straight tunnel that led east toward the tunnels that would lead to their objective "Watch it! Banelings! Don't let 'em get close!" Raynor shouted, opening fire on the rolling pods of volatile chemicals as the nine others in the crew followed suit, advancing steadily, leaving scorch marks and Zerg acid all over the ground in their wake, killing an Aberration en route with a volley of Nanodarts.

"Come in, Raynor? I'm detecting survivors of another squad close by. Find 'em and…" The transmission dissolved into static.

Raynor looked at the lost squad's position on his minimap "I'm gonna guess that last part was 'rescue 'em'."

Tychus snorted as he blew up two Nydus Worms with one Sonance Grenade "Hell and I thought we were gonna play poker with 'em." They walked east until they met up with the two Firebats and one Medic

"Great to see you guys. The cavern ahead is full of worms so we better be careful."

"Ah worms, Right, not a problem… what are they spitting?" It turned out the worms were merely spitting out Infested Terrans and Zerglings that tried and utterly failed at swarming the Raiders' position.

"Ambush! They're behind us!" Tychus yelled as he and the Firebats turned to confront the Zerglings coming in behind them.

"Push forward and kill the worms! We can't get stuck here!" Raynor shouted. "Watch our six! More of 'em incoming!" His sensors were showing a sea of red hostiles and purple confirmed Jormungand Brood contacts.

After killing the Nydus Worms and turning the tunnel into a river of Zerg paste, the crew reached the second seismic fissure and Swann began to work, setting up the charge.

"We got a hundred tons of Zerg incoming!" Tychus shouted as the group, taking advantage of the tunnel chokepoints, started killing off the Nydus worms quickly and efficiently with Nanodart fire. "Hell, earthquake!"

"That's no 'quake, it's Ultralisks!" Raynor shouted. "Ariel, control one of them!"

"Already on it, Jim… there." One of the two charging Ultralisks turned and swiped at the other, which roared before the two huge beasts began to battle, rolling and stomping around the cavern. They crushed lesser Zerg and completely obstructed the path of the Zerg behind them, allowing the Raiders to eliminate the other two Nydus Worms in the tunnels on either side before focusing fire on the hostile Ultralisk while the currently friendly one fell to a large number of Banelings and the hostile one's slashes and spines.

"Well, we've dealt with this level, let's move!" Swann shouted, the thirteen soldiers ran up the ramp just past the fissure, up a level of the catacombs as the charge went off and that one began to flood with lava. The lava flow stopped quickly though, so the third fissure would need to be destabilized as well…

Tychus frowned, looking at his HUD and noting the red hostile contacts ahead "We got company, Jimmy?"

"No…I'm picking up something…but it's stationary. Eggs or larva maybe?"

They moved toward the large numbers of eggs cautiously, weapons levelled but not firing yet, until the eggs popped open almost as one and Zerglings attempted to swamp the team, with Gauss Chainguns, Rifles, Grenades, Flamethrowers and Temporal Fizz Launchers, they were reduced to pools of blood with the utmost ease.

Swann stated conversationally while blasting another group of Zerglings into oblivion "Y'know, the way those eggs all hatched…It's like they were waiting for us."

Stetmann replied, equally deadpan "There's a strong likelihood that another zerg creature was controlling them."

Tychus snorted "Whatever's popping those eggs is gonna be in a world o' hurt when I get a hold of 'em!" He said while the tunnel turned north, the squad continuing to blast any Zerg they came across.

Warfield sent another transmission "Raynor, another squad is up ahead. Their situation sounds dire. Proceed with extreme caution, there's an Ultralisk up there."

The Dominion Marines' transmission came in loud and clear as the team saw the Ultralisk trying to break through their rock barrier with spines and Kaiser Blades "Over here! Help us!" The rock barrier began to crumble "Oh god! Game over, man! Game over!" They shouted in panic.

"Already on it." Ariel said simply as Raynor turned toward her, moments later, the Ultralisk was busily embroiled in combat with the two Spine Crawlers and Hydralisks that had once covered it as it hacked away at the rock barrier.

"Thanks, man. I thought we were goners." The Marines saluted gratefully as Ariel sent the Ultralisk running away down the tunnel so that she could Dominate it again if need be by the time it came back.

"You aren't safe yet." Swann said, the group heading southeast past more Zerg resistance to the last fissure.

"Same deal as before! Set up a perimeter and don't let anything reach the charge while it's arming. Just one more charge and we're gonna have ourselves a Nydus barbeque. Stay sharp, boys… I've got a bad feeling about this place." The Marines and Firebats formed a circle around Swann as he assembled the charge. "What the hell is that?" A giant contact had just popped up.

Tychus swore as the contacts that had represented eggs began moving "Damn! She's popping eggs!"

"All set, cowboy. When this thing goes off we need to be a long way from here." Swann reported.

Raynor looked at the contact "We gotta take her down! No way we can leave the charge while she's around!"

"She's coming this way." Hanson stated. "And so is that Ultralisk I sent away, excellent."

What followed was an Ultralisk vs. Super-Queen Melee. While watching and pouring ammunition into the Queen before the Ultralisk died, Stetmann voiced his opinion "Zerg are so fascinating. I wish we knew more about their physiology."

Tychus snorted "I know all about 'em. Put a bullet in 'em, they die."

"Well, that's not exactly…"

"Shut it you two." Raynor said, pouring more Nanodarts into the slowly winning Queen. As soon as she defeated the Ultralisk, she turned toward the team and roared in fury, moving as fast as she could off the Creep toward the group. Temporal Fizz Launchers were good at slowing things down, which meant the Queen, already slow off the Creep, was even slower. Hence it fell before it could do much more than take some swings at their shields and pop the Over-shield domes

"No life signs... She's dead, Jim!"

"Us too if we don't get the hell out of here!" Raynor yelled as he and the crew ran for the ramp up to the relevant tunnel to get away from the place. The charge detonated behind them shortly after they ascended to the next level.

Tychus glanced toward the side of the tunnel they were heading through, looking toward a lava pit he took note of something "Ah hell, the lava's rising!"

Raynor slapped the back of his helmet "That was the whole idea, Tychus! Now run for the extraction point, you idiot!"

Tychus whistled as he ran and gunned "Hot damn! Nothing like a good ole fashioned knock-down-drag-out brawl!"

The Ultralisk that confronted them near the end of the tunnel, just before the ramp that led up to the surface, was nothing. In fact, it even helped hold off the Zerg that boiled out of the ground behind them when Ariel Dominated it and it lumbered over them, literally, what with the soldiers running between its legs, under the massive beast.

Once outside, they clamoured aboard their Restorer and looked back "Look at all those caves crumble. I'm not sorry to see 'em go."

Stetmann whistled "Wow. We sure killed a lot of them. I bet they're really scared of us now, of you."

Raynor grunted "Alright, let's see how the boys held up while we were gone."

* * *

_High Orbit over Char, Primary Platform Network, October 14, 3868_

The Strategic Missile had soared from its Liberator Strategic Missile Launcher and headed straight up from the surface, streaking toward the Primary Platform, its guidance systems keeping it from colliding with anything overly huge (read: Devourers or the Leviathan) while it simply evaded or took the hits of smaller enemies with its overcharged structural fields without difficulty. Scourge were left spiralling back, trying to catch the nimble missile as it bounced itself all over the place dodging them and leaving them utterly in the dust. The warhead closed in on the platforms, and at the pre-set detonation distance of one kilometre from the main platform, released its "directed" yield of two Gigatons plus a massive EMP that instantly fried nearly all the machinery on the platform.

The space platform network erupted from the inside out, the Strategic Missile having flown past several connecting beams before going off. The reactors went as the shockwaves throughout the structure set them off, and the whole assembly flew apart, though none of it whatsoever fell straight down, and for good reason too. Whatever could have ended up falling straight down was now part of the interstellar medium, being blown about on the solar wind.

* * *

A/N: Sorry, but the Shatter the Sky mission made no sense to me (despite me liking it more than Belly of the Beast). If the reactors keeping the platform in orbit were gone, the platform would fall right on them. The easiest solution, easier than even Thalia simply going up there with an army of Harbingers, Bangers and Athanahs, is a Strategic nuke, which I've recalculated to be more reasonable considering required damage density vs. structural field overcharge patterns.

* * *

_Char, Primary Hive Cluster, October 14, 3868_

The defenders were tired and battered, letting the Coalition-standard turrets that had just been set up by Engineers do the work for now, when Raynor got to the new base. Thunder rumbled overhead as it began to rain, the first rain this area of Char had likely seen in decades, it being a young, volcanic planet and all. The rain gathered and slid down Coalition Point Defence Turrets, Flak, SAMs, Dominion soldiers' armour, and Raiders alike, sizzling slightly when it impacted the hot ground before sinking into the ashen surface. The battlefield began to muddy up before Raynor's eyes; they'd been ambushed, ambushed hard, as the main army had left to scour one of the Zerg bases further east. A large number of Ultralisks, Roaches and Hydralisks had launched an assault, supported by Devourers, Swarm Guardians, Brood Lords, and of course the staple Zerg Mutalisks, catching the defenders by surprise. The Zerg scored no kills due to the Coalition vehicle presence in the area (though limited) and the Raiders' shields, but…

One Raider passed by on a medical gurney, only head and shoulders remaining in the onboard stasis field. She'd fallen victim to the Zerg attack, being pinned under an Ultralisk and hacked away at by the Kaiser blades, though it had taken a while to bore through the armour effectively. One of the two dog tags every Raider had fell from the hovering gurney, and Raynor caught it just before it hit the ground. Looking down at it while the soldier was carted away for flash-cloning treatment or bio-synthetic fusion installation, Raynor saw the name "M. Koiter" before he closed his hand again on the dog tag. A Hercules freighter showed up with Warfield and a couple Raiders carrying an object with them "Good to see you up and about, General."

Warfield snorted as he flexed his repaired arm "Heh, well we'll see how long that lasts." Raynor hummed in agreement. "I brought you boys a present, your second, Matt Horner, sent this to Warfield Forward Base just now and I'm bringing it here, to the Heart of the Swarm." The crate two Raiders escorted down the loading ramp opened, revealing a dark blue device with bright blue patterns on it "The Xel'Naga artefact has been assembled. I hope to God it does what we think it does."

Tychus snorted from where he was "Damn straight. Betting our asses on some alien piece of crap doesn't sit right with me."

"I hear you Tychus. But if I was banking everything on that, I'd be quit already, because here we are in the mouth of hell, and we made it this far, by leaning on each other." Raynor didn't notice the Dominion Marine behind his back piping it over the whole Command Net.

Warfield grunted approval "Heh, whether it's blind luck or damn fool courage, in all my years I've never seen anything like what you two jokers have pulled off, gotten all those friends and all…" He gestured up toward the Brick Armoured Assault Bot at the stockade for emphasis.

"That thing may be the key to stopping the Queen of Blades… But it's our sweat and blood that'll make it happen." The tired defenders who'd been forced to hold their position for hours with zero relief and zero rest, began to move into motion again, seemingly shaking off their fatigue at Raynor's words. The Coalition army was tied up by hordes of Zerg further east and the newly produced units needed to get there first (that was solved by building factories in the base later, when Engineers had gotten there), that was why they'd had no reinforcements.

"After everything we've been through, past all the fire and fury, the one thing I know, is that we can count on each other…to get the job done. Or die trying. If that's what it takes." The storm intensified, but the Dominion troops and Raiders no longer sat slumped in the mud, they got up and back to combat stations, ready to supplement the heavy firepower the towers put out. Raynor looked down at the dog tag he held, unknowing of all that was happening behind his back "Because some things are just worth fighting for." He said softly, though every man and woman in the line heard, the particular Dominion Marine to do the broadcasting cut the feed, the speech was over and this man… this hero… deserved some privacy.

Tychus crouched nearer to the artefact, looking it over "We spent a lot of time hunting' down all them pieces. Now 'it's all together, this thing gives me the willies something awful."

Raynor nodded "I know what you mean. When I look at it, it's… it's like I can hear voices in my head… Sooner we're done with this thing, the better."

General Warfield pitched in "Agreed. Right now this artefact is the most important weapon in the universe and we're going to use it."

Tychus reached out a hand, almost but not quite touching the glowing thing "I just wish the damn thing came with an instruction manual." He stood up "For all we know we could be upsetting the entire space-time continuum!" He waved his arms about for emphasis.

Raynor held up a hand "Easy, Tychus, this isn't science fiction."

"Yeah, but can you imagine the video games they'll make about us someday?" The two chuckled as Warfield walked off to talk to some Marines.

Raynor sobered again "Final stand, you ready for this?"

Tychus rolled his eyes "That I am, partner. Hell, we're gonna be the guys that kill the Queen of Blades! Genuine heroes! Ole Mengsk might even give you a pardon!"

Raynor bristled, poking Tychus in the chest with one finger "Get one thing straight, Tychus, if Valerian's right and this artefact can turn Kerrigan human again, I'm taking her away from this place. You hear what I'm saying?"

Tychus Findlay suddenly understood why schoolgirls sometimes squealed, Jimmy's star-crossed romance with Kerrigan was giving him the urge to do it. If he succumbed to the temptation, unless everyone else did it too, he would never be counted as badass again, no matter how many Zerg he killed with his bare hands while chewing on Energy Bar Cigars. In a most horrifying way, his mouth opened despite his brain's resistance "I hear ya Jimmy, and I know you want to believe she can come back. But after all the misery she's caused… well, let's just say… some folks don't deserve second chances." Thankfully, his body realized its impending loss of badass-ness and saved itself. Tychus let out a mental sigh of relief that had to be cut short, since Raynor's next words were also squeal-worthy.

"I'll be the judge of that." Raynor growled forcibly, shoving Tychus out of the way as he walked back to Warfield's holo-table. Normally, Tychus would have said something, but he was still busy resisting the temptation of squealing…

Warfield was talking to some soldiers, so Raynor watched the latest UNN broadcast. Kate Lockwell's words were laugh-worthy "Ladies and Gentlemen, this is a sad day for us here at UNN. I regret to inform you that last night Donny Vermillion had himself committed to the Dominion Mental Health Center here on Korhal. While the nature of his abrupt mental breakdown remains unknown, we do know that he was clad only in his socks and rumored to be in possession of Emperor Mengsk's manifesto and a pound of peanut butter." So was the ticker's "Dominion Security: Raynor's rebellion quashed" and "Kyla Velassi discovered hiding in an animal enclosure at the Korhal zoo"

"We wish you all the best, Donny, and hope for your speedy recovery. In the meantime, I'll be taking over as chief anchor here at UNN. For UNN, I'm Kate Lockwell." The ticker confirmed it "This is UNN news with Kate Lockwell" while joyous whooping from Kate Lockwell was heard in the background "Hoorah! Yes! Yeah!"

Raynor rolled his eyes before noting Warfield on his right side looking at the puddles forming on the muddy ground with a look of contemplation "All these years, Mengsk made you out to be the devil himself." The old General turned his head toward Raynor "But I've seen you put it on the line for men who'd otherwise be hunting you down."

Raynor looked into the hologram over the holo-table, watching the strategic display absently "Your Emperor's the one who should be brought to justice." A pause… "All I ever wanted was for folks to live free." The last part was added quietly, as if a whisper to himself, of something he never had a chance to experience.

Warfield clapped his left hand to Raynor's right shoulder pauldron, turning his body toward the younger man "Charging into battle with a stranger…" he gestured into the air, around the base, where Red, Blue and some other colours were at the ramparts "taking enemy fire, holding the line shoulder to shoulder… that's the great equalizer of war. It's an honour to fight at your side." He gave the shoulder pauldron a firm, friendly shake.

Raynor met Warfield's eyes "I sure do appreciate that, General." He shook the older man's hand. "Let's get ready, shall we?"

* * *

A/N: I've gone back and modified all Yolona Oss numbers so they're more consistent in damage vs. power density and all with the Overcharge Cannon's damage amount. They are now 500 Gigaton weapons, by the Covenant War they will be 600 Gigaton weapons, if I mistake the numbers, tell me in a review. Also, typical Strategic Nukes are 2 Gigaton, by Covenant War they will be 2.25 Gigaton. Also, if I ever say CZARs are 400 meters diameter about one in battle, correct me, they've been up-sized since the Seraphim War and are now 500, sorry.

Hope everyone liked Hanson's special ability. Since she's not naturally psionic, she can only control very limited Zerg numbers for a very limited time, not even as good as Alexis Stukov.

Also, I will not be doing Transformers crossover anytime soon, sorry, too unfamiliar for me. The last chapter will contain a more-or-less epilogue, I promise you that.

REVIEW!


	18. The Return of the Queen

A/N: Supreme Commander: the Thirteenth has begun to roll and shortly WorldWar: Supreme Balance will too. The first starts in a time period roughly parallel to this fic. Also, I am prepared to start work on Mass Effect: Supreme Redemption as well, since their time spans are roughly overlapping and parallel.

As for a giant mobile reclamation unit, well… A Mass Extractor reclaims mass from the planet through a narrow channel down to the molten rock (quantum manipulation maintains the tunnel, hence the energy drain for Mass Extractors) so it's like what you were talking about. Note that on asteroids it reclaims from the entire asteroid evenly so that density of the asteroid don't change very much, but platforms are way too small for this sort of thing.

* * *

Chapter 18: The Return of the Queen

_Char, Primary Hive Cluster, October 14, 3868_

"It seems my faith in your abilities has been vindicated, Commander Raynor. Now the final blow must be struck. Use the artefact to neutralize the Queen of Blades and bring this bloodshed to an end." Valerian said over the comm. to Warfield and Raynor where they were, in the midst of the Primary Hive Cluster.

"The engineer corps is moving the Xel'Naga artefact to the base of the primary hive cluster, which is right over there." Warfield pointed at a small hill in the northwest section of the base "We'll entrench our defences all around it; I believe your Coalition buddies can handle that… Unfortunately, it's going to take some time to charge up the device for a strike against the Queen of Blades. Intel provided by the Moebius Foundation suggests that the Zerg will be attracted by the artefact's pulse-emanations. Once it's activated, all nearby Zerg will go into a frenzy trying to reach it."

"Well, that'll be easy, though we might be a bit of a burden on Seth, there's no way we can beat a sustained mass-scale Zerg attack, my Raiders might be well-equipped and we can refit your troops to our standards, but we don't have the numbers unless we lean on Seth's Commanders."

"The artefact itself may help with that. According to Intel it can discharge what they're calling an 'energy nova' that should kill any Zerg within its radius." He started a computer simulation that ran the Energy Nova effect, causing Tychus to whistle in appreciation.

"It takes time to recharge after each use, otherwise this'd be easy. You'll have to activate the energy nova manually. Fortunately, the artefact pulses on an infrasonic frequency, so we'll be immune to its effects and won't go berserk or anything."

"Recharge or no I'll take all the help we can get right now, General. Remember, Kerrigan's still out there waiting for us."

Tychus snorted "How could we forget?"

The Artefact was set up on a charging pedestal on the top of the hill "Raynor." Seth said from Raynor's HUD.

"Seth." Raynor acknowledged the call.

"We're charging the artefact at the highest power flow rate we can safely put in, but we'll have to hold position for thirty minutes, my forces are setting up a base in your area right now, we expect to be able to completely annihilate the Zerg attack forces until we are ready to fire the artefact and de-infest Sarah Kerrigan." The Seraphim nodded before closing the channel.

"You've brought me the Xel'Naga artefact." Kerrigan transmitted, her bright orange eyes flaring slightly "It was good of you to save me the trouble of finding it for myself." A wave of Ultralisks and Roaches came roaring in, charging the T1 Point defences. Much to the chagrin of Seth and co. some of the Ultras actually got through the line simply because it wasn't a solid line. They headed straight for the artefact.

"We're not ready for this many. We'll have to use the artefact." Matt Horner told Raynor, who rolled his eyes at the obviousness of the words.

The Energy Nova blossomed outward from the artefact and the Zerg, on touching it, simply died. They disintegrated before the Raiders' eyes, burning up and falling apart… "An impressive defence, but not nearly impressive enough, my forces are without number, and yours are dwindling by the minute. This can only end one way." Kerrigan sent. Raynor snorted, she didn't quite understand the power of Coalition production capability yet… Another Brick Armoured Assault Bot joined the defence line, rumbling out of a T3 Land Factory even as he rolled his eyes. Three Gemini Air Superiority Fighters lifted off in near-silence and joined the patrols over the base's airspace just as the factories switched to producing Restorer AA Gunships, for their ground-attack capability as well as AA ability.

The defence line was bolstered by the units and T3 Engineers and Combat Engineers constructing heavy fortifications. T3 Heavy Shield Generators, Athanuthes, were being constructed while the front lines of T1 Point Defences were reclaimed and in their place Ravager Tier 3 Heavy Point Defences and Triad T2 Point Defences sprung up. Further down the sides of the plateau ramps the Terran and Coalition forces were holding, in places unsuitable for the heavier weapons, Eruptor T1 Point Defences were put up in ranks of pure defensive power. AA was provided by Burst Master T2 Flak Artilleries and Myrmidon T3 SAM Launchers, while mobile units were to deal with anything that got too close.

Horner sent over a transmission while the defences were still Work In Progress and after several Zerg attacks had been beaten back "Heads up, sir! I'm detecting a large group of Zerg flyers heading straight for the artefact!"

"I thought we melted down their platform?" Raynor asked Warfield.

"Yeah, but they've produced more here on the ground, and the other nesting sites are pouring out all they've got, so the only differences were how long they took to get here and their numbers, that's a lot less than the platform would have given us." Warfield gestured toward the dark cloud, barely visible through the rain and storm clouds above them in the sky.

Burst Master Flak Artillery installations responded to the threats detected on radar, their internal systems actuating the guns to face the projected trajectories of the swarms of Mutalisks, Swarm Guardians and Brood Lords. They, along with their heavier AA brethren, Myrmidons, slowly traversed as the swarm grew closer, and once they entered range, the guns and missiles lit up the sky with glowing trails and explosions. The Myrmidons, inefficient against the puny Mutalisks, focused on the Brood Lords and crab-like Guardians that launched acid globules toward them, while the Electron Flak from the Burst Masters burst in thunderous volleys of destruction all over the Mutalisk swarm, cutting down hundreds in mere seconds.

The acid globules and Glaive Worms launched by the Zerg fliers encountered a glowing barrier just in front of the line of Ravagers, Triads and Eruptors that made up the front line, or, in some cases, since the fliers had already passed the shield of the first Athanuthe, the second shield layer just ahead of the line of Tier 2 and 3 Point Defences. They slid off the shields onto the ground without doing anything, being about as effective as the rain falling on the shield domes and sliding off in sheets. Counter-fire was absolutely lethal and Coalition air units entered the fray, tearing the Zerg fliers utterly apart, though the Corona ASFs proved more effective than the Geminis, since their shells had a small splash damage radius, unlike the high-powered missiles of the Geminis. The Zerg aerial attack was beaten back with effectively no damage to the Coalition line, since the few things that hit the Point Defences were either ineffectual or such minute decreases in structural field strength the "The Hive"-class engineering stations didn't even register the damage, since the typical self-repair protocols dealt with it before the stations could dispatch engineering drones for the duty.

"Warning, seismic disturbance detected. Nydus worm inbound."

"Didn't you flood the Nydus Tunnel Network with lava?" Warfield asked Raynor, who merely shrugged as a Nydus Worm erupted from the ground next to a Harbinger Heavy Armour unit and was blown apart, another series being stepped on, shot or rammed to death throughout the base as they emerged by Coalition units.

"I guess they found a way around the lava caverns… probably took a while, which was why they didn't turn up until now."

"Hmm, that sounds believable." Warfield nodded as they watched the Nydus Worms be stomped back into the ground or rolled under by tank-type vehicles. It was almost ridiculously easy to do it.

"Lots of Zerg flyers on their way to you, Sir!" Horner warned after a while of more Zerg dying and more absurdly heavy defences being set up. Since large amounts of AA with some Point Defences had been set up on the cliffs overlooking the lava on the far side of the base from the primary Zerg attack direction, Raynor was_ taking a nap_. Warfield had been told "We gotta save our energy, if the Queen of Blades comes, it'll be up to our boys to do the job. Seth's defences won't target her because she is critical to the survival of the sector."

Warfield had been mulling it over while watching a video sequence Raynor had pieced together from the Ihan Crystal. It was horrifying how Kerrigan seemed to be the Sector's only chance, and he also had some questions for Raynor, who woke up just then when Horner sent over the transmission. "Raynor, I need to ask, why didn't the Coalition deploy any of those gigantic units I saw in the video?"

"Experimentals? Well, there's one being assembled right over there… a Fatboy to be exact." Raynor pointed to a gigantic slab Warfield had previously thought to be a building. Upon closer examination, Warfield noted the huge Gauss cannons and gigantic tread pods.

"My HUD's telling me that thing's 200 meters long and 160 wide." Warfield said after a shocked pause "And 40 meters tall, you're telling me that is an Experimental?"

"Yep, and it should be finished building right about… now."

"Seismic disturbance detected near the Fatboy, Nydus worm inbound." The Adjutant warned before grinning maniacally.

"Well, let's watch the carnage…" the "Hell's Fury Riot Guns" on the Fatboy's flanks, one per flank, began spitting out shells, three per second, but each shell containing the equivalent of 200 tons of TNT in kinetic plus explosive energy. Every round was six tons of shell, four of which was explosives, flying at eight km/s, dealing 150 damage points to Structural Fields (ground) and Shields per hit. Needless to say, the Nydus Worms that sprung up to the flanks of the Fatboy never knew what hit them, and the ones that surface in front/behind the massive machine were simply run over by the Mobile Factory backing up slightly before rolling forward. Its Gauss Cannons had been blasting away into the distance, using heavier shells at slower speeds and ballistic arcs to get past the terrain into the Zerg bases.

"Sir we're tracking a large number of Zerg flyers, coming your way." Raynor snorted, that would be easy… "Alert! Class 12 psionic waveform detected. The Queen of Blades is inbound. Seth, as per agreement, will leave her to us."

"Come on boys, it's time to beat back the Queen of Blades!" Raynor hollered as he, like the other Raiders, prepared for combat. The Dominion troops followed suit, following the Raiders.

"I'm tired of working through others. It's time I took a personal hand in your demise." Kerrigan's psionic yell enticed gales of laughter from the combined Terran/Coalition lines, along with a rather large amount of ammunition directed her way. While her escort force of elite Zerg disintegrated around her, she cut apart several of the Eruptors with her mind and powers, and nailed a couple Dominion troops caught outside the shields with a Psionic storm that lashed away at their bodies and armour.

The screaming men were dragged back behind the lines by brave Raiders who boosted out into the psionic storm, relying on their over-shields to protect themselves and the Dominion men as the other soldiers in the line forced Kerrigan to back up several steps with sheer volume of fire, covering their allies. "We've driven her back! Keep it up!" Raynor shouted as he glanced at the two still-alive Dominion soldiers receiving hardly a look before the Raiders slapped stasis field emitters on their suits and, heads shaking, carted the men back to the medical facility they'd set up in the base. One of the soldiers had his belly blown wide open, intestines tattered and torn from a direct Psionic lightning strike and the minor explosion of boiling flesh that had followed. The other seemed to be better off, being badly burnt, it wouldn't be too difficult to treat both with Coalition medical technology, which could effectively deal with just about anything short of brain death with relative ease. He shook his head as Kerrigan was forced to burrow underground from too much damage "Good job, boys!" He yelled, rousing a cheer from the men.

After repelling more Zerg attacks, patching up their defences on the two occasions when Kerrigan showed up and destroyed some stuff, a wave of Zerg tried a new tactic, a swarm of fliers coming in from the south and east over a sea of lava. The keyword here was "Tried". Needless to say, they failed epically, falling into the base as charred pieces of flesh.

"You fools. You're playing with forces beyond your comprehension!" Kerrigan, who was at the line right now, screeched mentally, causing the Dominion troops to shudder and falter slightly while the Raiders, being shielded but equipped with Psi-receivers, merely heard the distant screech and snorted, never letting up on the stream of pain they poured downrange. The Marines, Marauders and Reapers next to them in the line took their example and began firing again despite the fear she'd managed to impress upon them, if only for a moment.

Tychus shouted as Kerrigan burrowed again "She's on the run, man. Let's keep the pressure on!"

Kerrigan had apparently heard the extra-loud broadcast through the ears of her minions, since she shot back "You'll regret that." The line almost collectively snorted derisively.

The Adjutant's rather attractive face came up on the HUDs of the Raiders "Warning: Class 10 Zerg flier detected."

Horner sent over a transmission to Raynor "Holy shit…Sir, scanners show the largest Zerg bio- signature I've ever seen! And it's headed your way!

"Hmm… ah, that, designation Leviathan, I'm pretty sure the Ihan Crystal included those things in the final stand of the Protoss." Raynor had seen the monstrous signature and render on his strategic display. "Direct all available AA firepower from the fleet toward it, make sure it doesn't get too close! I'll do what I can here on the ground." Against a four-kilometre bloated, armoured beast, there were only a few things that could be done… One of them was to order all SAM batteries to use bombardment fire mode on the large, slow contact. The second was to take all the Geminis and Coronas (all Air Superiority Fighters) from the air patrols and assign them to eliminate this target, leaving the Restorers to cover the base's safety. The third thing was to check… ah, okay then, it was ready.

A 300-meter wide monster of a Bomber, asymmetric and odd-looking, rose from the ground and made a beeline for the Leviathan, swatting Scourge, Mutalisks, Corruptors and Devourers from the air with almost ridiculous ease. An eighty-one kiloton bomb, a ball of blazing light, left the central ring/hole in the bomber's structure as it peeled up and began to turn around, banking steeply as the bomb impacted the absurdly heavily armoured front end of the Leviathan. Gemini fire poured into the crater in the armour of the titanic beast, wounding it further and causing it to spew forth Zerg fliers that swarmed the Coalition battle-group, which was engaged in a fierce dogfight as the Zerg flier moved toward the Coalition/Terran base, intent on, apparently, pulling the same sort of thing Tassadar had pulled off against the Overmind, ramming. Sadly for whatever plans it had, it was too slow to avoid taking the second Ahwassa bomb right up the ass end of it. The SAMs had begun to take their toll as well, finally tearing into the flesh of the creature's front as the Zerg thing shook from the Ahwassa's bomb damage.

Kerrigan screamed as her Leviathan finally fell from an Overcharge shot from Thalia Kael's Aeon ACU, ninety kilotons TNT equivalent of destructive energy tearing the beast apart from the inside out "You will pay for this treachery!"

"Sir, I'm picking up a mass of Overlords heading your way. Ready your air defences!" The overlords in question tried, and on rare occasions succeeded in landing troops on the cliffs overlooking the lava. Sadly for the armoured, bulbous creatures, said cliff had SAM and Flak emplacements backed by shields and some Point Defences. Suffice it to say that the Point Defences had to blast the Overlord corpses out of the way (and into the atmosphere as vapour) to clear their lines of fire.

Kerrigan's response was typical, a scream of "You dare!" as she failed again in her attacks, since the first time, she hadn't even successfully wounded a soldier yet due to the sheer amount of firepower directed at her.

After a boring while in which more Zerg were toasted to ribbons of cooked meat, the Adjutant reported with a ding and a cocky smile "Artefact power at full capacity."

"It's now or never, General!" Raynor called over his shoulder as a truly overwhelming Zerg attack wave came in, swamping even the Coalition defences with corpses of Zerg warriors, the waves held back only by the Fatboy's efforts plus the Ahwassa's bombs "HIT IT!"

Horner shouted over the comm. as the Hyperion descended toward the battlefield, providing close fire support with mass volleys of Loa Tactical Missiles and Ravager Point Defence fire, as well as zealot SIMs repurposed to assault ground targets (though with a major damage penalty), and of course the Oblivion Cannons and Heavy Microwave Lasers. "The artefact's energy is peaking! Just hold out a little longer!"

Sarah Kerrigan finally broke through her psionic prison as the artefact's power began to peak, weakening the Queen of Blades, who was screaming in pain in the background of her mindscape "Don't give up!" She shouted telepathically before turning to confront the enemy that had oppressed her, used her body for the past years… The two beings clashed inside Kerrigan's mind while her body stood still inside the main cavern of the main Hive structure.

Raynor frowned "I hear Sarah…"

Tychus watched the Psi readings on his HUD grow higher in alarm "She's losing it!"

The overpowering pulse ripped free of the artefact, disintegrating all things Zerg in its path, until it collided with the psionic shields of the Queen of Blades on its radiance outward from the ancient device. Sarah Kerrigan was slowly being overpowered by the Queen, but in one last defiant gesture, she shut down the shields that protected the Zerg from the artefact's power. The Queen of Blades screamed and began to fade as Sarah felt the intense pain of the artefact cleaning out her body of the Zerg Queen's consciousness. She felt detached as her body burned, her insides seemingly melting and rearranging themselves in scorching torture, she felt… at peace. As the body of one Sarah Kerrigan collapsed in the now empty, dark cavern, she was, at last, free. The Queen of Blades had been kicked out of her mind, and she rejoiced mentally before darkness descended upon her.

* * *

_Char, Primary Hive Cluster, October 14, 3868_

_Five Minutes after firing of Artefact_

The team of Raiders advanced into the main hive cautiously, sweeping the area with their guns and eyes even though the Omni and Radar on their HUDs showed no Zerg contacts and only a yellow neutral contact up ahead. "Alright boys, there's nothing hostile here, no need to be so tense… let's find Sarah." The Raiders nodded as they relaxed slightly and fell in line behind Raynor and Tychus.

A pale hand was propped up over a piece of dead Zerg, and Raynor, upon seeing it through the odd mist that clouded the room slightly, broke into a run while his Raiders recorded it for future memory and laughs at Raynor's degree of being whipped. Tychus was doing the same thing all the other Raiders were as Jim scanned Sarah, who appeared to be completely naked, with a medical scanner, and gave her a little medi-gel.

"Sarah…" Raynor whispered, cradling the head of the seemingly fragile woman gently while his eyes flickered over her face, looking for any sign of motion. Her skin had returned to a more human hue from the green it had been before, and though slightly mottled from where Zerg parts had been burnt away it was completely smooth and soft, not like the flexible carapace that had been there previously. Her tough, spine-like hair, however, was still Zerg in appearance, hard and prickly to any unarmoured hand, making Raynor glad he'd kept his armour on. He picked her up into a semi-seated position, wrapping the blanket

Tychus, after informing the other Raiders to prepare to have the laugh of their lives, walked up behind Raynor, focusing the camera feed in his helmet on the face of the de-infested Sarah Kerrigan, which, he noted, proved Jim had very fine taste in women. He nodded approvingly at his friend's choice before asking his ex-employer, though the other man didn't realize this "You reading all this?"

"You have your orders, Mr. Findlay. Carry them out." Arcturus said rather loudly, knowing the sound would leak out through the helmet to Raynor's suit auditory pickups.

Raynor's head came around "Tychus… what have you done?" His expression shifted into a deep frown of betrayal.

"I made a deal with the devil, Jimmy. She dies. I go 'free'." Tychus didn't budge a muscle as he made the air quotes and the Heads-up display on his suit lit up his depolarized visor with a flashing red countdown.

Raynor understood, then said with a grin "We all got our choices to make…"

Tychus shrugged and scratched his head, still not raising a finger against Kerrigan "Damn shame…" The countdown reached zero "That Mengsk made a real stupid one."

"What… why does this not work?" Mengsk's finger jammed down repeatedly on the red button on Tychus's huge holo of the Emperor, projected from his chest holoprojector. The Raiders behind him in the line froze, dropped their jaws, and started laughing as the emperor's face went from one of confusion to sheer rage in seconds. "I will get you, Mr. Findlay!" Mengsk yelled like a spoiled brat, waving his fist in the air. Tychus's booming laugh was the only reply the man got before the channel was closed by one illusive Tychus Findlay.

"What a spoiled brat, eh Jim? Jim? Damn, he's acting whipped again… you getting this boys?" Tychus shook his head sadly, Sarah had apparently stirred during the confrontation with the emperor's hologram, and Raynor's attention had instantly gone back to the woman in his arms. Tychus snorted, it was cute, sure, but it bordered on sickening now…

Strong, armoured arms were the first thing she felt, wrapped securely around her, giving her a sense of safety. A familiar psionic presence alerted her to the identity of the person cradling her securely as she felt herself being picked up. She was sure, but she needed to know if, after so long, what had become nearly a pipe dream with her imprisonment by the Queen of Blades, she was finally safe again. Sarah's eyelids felt like they were being torn apart as she pried them apart, to see the grizzled face above her, looking down at her tenderly as he carried her out of the hive's tunnel complex. Her throat felt rather dry s she managed to get out "Jim?"

Raynor's face spread onto the widest smile any of the Raiders had yet seen (laughing hysterically at Horner's image being ridden by Nova is not a smile) on him and he replied, almost choking up "It's okay, I gotcha."

Tychus sniffled as he and most of the Raiders other than the ones in front of Raynor, ostensibly to provide protection for Sarah but really to get a better number of camera angles, wiped at their eyes with handkerchiefs, it was such a tender scene between the two that even Tychus' usual satire was silent on the topic. The ex-convict grinned at the thought of how much teasing Jim would get later on from him, Swann and Horner. Hanson and Stetmann would get in some nice jabs too, though he hoped Hanson wouldn't accidentally use her scythes for said jabs…

A Restorer Gunship came sweeping in before them and landed, the huge airlock opening to let them in. The trip back to the Hyperion was in silence as the Dominion fleet and 4th Hunter Squadron, plus the Valkyrie Fleet, engaged the Zerg fliers which were falling out of formation and failing even as the Restorer docked with the Hyperion.

* * *

_Outside Med Bay, Hyperion, October 15, 3868_

The Hyperion, the Valkyrie Fleet, and the 4th Hunter Squadron had jumped out as soon as the surface was evacuated of all Terran soldiers and all Coalition units were destroyed, the technology rendered utterly unsalvageable (have fun trying to salvage lumps of silicon and iron dropping into the lava seas). Sarah had been sent to Med Bay, where Hanson and Stetmann were slaving away to make sure all was normal and that she would be fine in the long-term from the extreme trauma her body had suffered. Raynor was sitting near the med bay window, and had been for almost an entire day, every single Raider had dropped by at some point to wish him luck with Sarah, who quite a few of them said they would kill but for the fact that she was a victim and would be needed to save the world.

"Sir, Seth asks what you're going to do next." Horner had for once suited up in Raider armour, unlike his usual Coalition Civilian Armour.

"Wait for Sarah to get better." Raynor said flatly, rolling his tired eyes as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"I meant besides that." Seth chortled from Tychus' chest holoprojector.

"Well, I was thinking trying to build up an army and a bigger fleet to help the Protoss out, with the Zerg there in disarray like after the death of the Overmind, this would be a great time to try to reclaim Aiur. We need all the allies we're going to get to stand against the Dark Voice…"

"You mean the Reapers." Seth said flatly.

"A sin by any other name, Seth." Raynor sighed, looking toward the med bay window at the figure of Sarah Kerrigan lying on her hospital bed again. Only Stetmann and Hanson took care of her, the other Medics were all resting from taking care of the wounded Dominion men.

* * *

_Outside Med Bay, Hyperion, October 16, 3868_

"Ugh!" Tychus groaned as he strained against the rope in futility, even with the armour's strength.

Matt, right beside him, straining in his Coalition Civilian Armour, muttered darkly "You can say that again."

"Why the hell not?" Tychus shrugged, before groaning again theatrically.

"I think… We're going to need a Thor for this." Swann said, digging in his feet in an attempt to help them in the endeavour.

"Swann, I couldn't agree more." Stetmann said as the four attempted to remove Raynor from his position by the Med Bay window to get some proper food, since he'd refused to leave his chair, they were forced to move the chair, which they were trying now.

Unfortunately, Raynor chose that moment to, in front of all the watching Raiders, turn off the solid-light hologram he'd put there. The net result was four dents in a wall at the end of the short hallway and a lot of laughs for all Raiders involved except for the four extricating themselves from the wall. Raynor then went back to tapping his chest holo-console and finishing business deals for the new company he'd registered in the Coalition, Raynor's Raiders' Supplies and Equipment. It had been based on recommendations from Seth-Thauum that Koprulu Sector technologies other than the Thor were safe enough to sell to the Council Species.

So far, Raynor had begun aggressive marketing of a slightly improved Marine Armour (with shields) that out-competed all else on the market among the Citadel Species but was rather bulky, and of Vikings and Banshees. He was planning to use the Hercules-class transports for hauling the freight due to their heavy armour and defensive flak weaponry. He had also struck up an agreement with Seth for the same transports to be used in transporting goods between the Coalition and the Citadel, since currently the only ship traffic between the two were Citadel tourists on guided tours and Coalition warships doubling as freighters, which was rather inconvenient sometimes. Things were looking up, now if only Sarah would get better, Jim's life would be nearly perfect.

* * *

_Med Bay, Hyperion, October 18, 3868_

Doctor Hanson had finally decided it was safe to stop giving Sarah the sedatives she'd been put under for the last few days while her brain chemistry re-stabilized. The woman's DNA was still slightly Zerg, like the Doctor's own, and that would never change, but it would not spread either. Being a psionic to begin with, she'd be able to control large numbers of Zerg at once, unlike Hanson's meagre abilities. Hanson hoped she'd be back to her human self and not abuse that ability… though the tough spine-like hair Sarah had was still worrying for the Doctor, the tips were dulled, but they were still going to be uncomfortable… "Where am I?" Her patient had woken up. Thanks to Coalition medical technology, there was no annoying IV stand or IV drip, only a medical dispenser.

"You're on the Hyperion, you're safe, I am doctor Ariel Hanson, Jim has been waiting a long time for you to wake up…if you don't mind, I'll let him in now. Oh, and by the way Jim, touching is allowed, but if you put my patient in any sort of pain I will personally scythe your ass…" Hanson said over her shoulder, noting Kerrigan's blank look from the moment she'd said she'd let Raynor in, this was worthy of a TV show…

"Jim…" Kerrigan didn't respond to Hanson, staring up at the ceiling before sniffling slightly "Let… let him in." Her voice cracked a little, vaguely remembering some of the things that had happened when she had been locked in her own mind, caged in by the Queen of Blades. Her own mind had apparently sealed away the painful memories, thankfully.

The thumping of boots on metal decking drew her attention to the man she'd hoped would come to rescue her for the last four years. "Hey Sarah" Raynor spoke quietly as he walked slightly closer. Hanson noted the look the two were sharing, their eyes locked on one another's, and left the room quietly, dragging a protesting Stetmann behind her, to give the two some privacy for their reunion. On her way out, she slammed the curtains over the wide window shut, rousing a collective groan from the faces plastered against the window, belonging to Tychus, Matt, Rory, Kachinsky, and half the women on the ship.

"Jim… I…" Sarah started before Raynor wrapped her up in a tight hug. "I… you shouldn't… you should… I don't deserve…" She wondered when her brain had turned to mush and she'd become so tongue-tied. She had tried to say that he shouldn't be holding her like this, he should just kill her and be done with it and that she didn't deserve someone like him, but none of it came out. Perhaps a more basic part of her mind had decided to be selfish for a moment, just as it had back in New Gettysburg, telling her not to trigger her suicide mechanism…

"It's okay, Sarah, I'm here. I promised you I'd be here, and you know me, I don't make empty promises." Raynor whispered into her ear, which was still slightly raw from having the Zerg burnt from it, before drawing back slightly and looking her in her sea-green eyes. "You're safe, Sarah, we have new allies now, we'll make the bastard pay for what he did to you."

Sarah said nothing, merely looking into the man's eyes, her man's eyes, seeing the love still there even after all these years "Yes…we should do that, shouldn't we?" She'd managed to get some of her more pathetic, sadder emotions in check just in time for them to be utterly swept aside by the balloon of happiness and hope that had swelled in her at seeing that he still cared for her. It was good that her brain wasn't remembering the horrible things she'd done in the past years in detail, she thought, before she frowned "By the way, what did Doctor Hanson mean when she said she'd scythe your ass?"

"It's a story that Ariel should be the one to tell you…" He blinked at the sudden growling sound that came from the beauty he sat next to, who had begun to get up from the hospital bed, still in her hospital gown, when she froze. "I think it's time to get you some real food, though we'll have to get you some real clothes too."

* * *

_Mess Hall, Hyperion, October 16, 3868_

Loud clapping rang inside the Mess Hall as Raynor and Sarah entered hand-in-hand, along with a few whistles at the fact that Kerrigan had borrowed a set of Raynor's clothes. The crew was giving them a standing ovation as they welcomed Sarah into the crew. They'd learned to forgive from the Coalition or the Raiders who'd gone to the Coalition, seen its history and how formerly mortal enemies were forced to come together to survive against a greater threat.

"If your appetite is anything like Hanson's these days…" The cook put a gigantic stack of food containers, piled high, in front of Kerrigan, who gaped at it for a moment. Raynor carried the platter of food over to the Command Crew Table, as it was known nowadays, and set it down with a gentle thud, rattling the cutlery on the table slightly.

"What did he mean 'Like Hanson's'?" Kerrigan asked before the Doctor poked her head around the other towering stack of food containers at the table.

"He meant this." She held an arm up, and Kerrigan noted the groove in the skin that followed the inside of the big bone. The groove dilated and a Hydralisk-style scythe hinged away from the woman's wrist. "Yeah, after I got de-infested, some things got left behind." She shrugged, flexing the scythe forward and locking it, then spearing a large slab of pork, ripping through it delicately, careful not to engage her scythe bio-electric fields, or she'd have a good chance of cutting through the glass container and maybe the table. During this time, Sarah gaped while the others dug into their food. Hanson stuck a piece of the pork with a scythe and fed it into her mouth before wiping off the scythe with a napkin and folding both blades back along the bones of her arms. "Said things include an increased metabolism and appetite, plus these things." She pointed at her forearms before grabbing her fork and knife again "I still prefer hands though." She grinned before vanishing back behind the stack of various food containers.

"Come on, Sarah, try this stuff, we've got some really great cooks on the Hyperion." Jim said, breaking Sarah's reverie.

She dug into the food Jim had placed before her (and taken the lid off of) hungrily, pausing only to comment "You were right, Jim, this is some really good stuff." Sarah said.

Matt's Coalition Civilian Armour pinged "Sir, Dark Prelate Zeratul is requesting permission to board."

Raynor turned toward Kerrigan, whose fork had frozen halfway to her mouth "Sarah, what do you think?" there was no response "Sarah?"

Sarah was remembering the time when the Queen of Blades had told Zeratul the same thing she whispered to herself "the END comes, and when it finds me… I shall embrace it at last…" She stopped zoning out and assumed an eerily calm expression "Let him come, Jim, it's time I faced him."

Raynor frowned in worry "You sure? We could talk with him on the comm. systems."

"No, I need to do this face-to-face, I owe the Protoss that much." Sarah said, closing her eyes as Raynor nodded to Matt.

"You are welcome to board, Prelate Zeratul, we are currently in the mess hall, feel free to join us for some food."

Zeratul walked through the doors a minute or so later, giving off a feeling of amusement "You do realize, friend Raynor, I would have to eat the food by diffusion? Ah, friend Kerrigan, it is good to see you are well again, the Artefact worked then." Zeratul nodded "Is something the matter?"

"Jim, please leave, I don't want you to see this." Kerrigan said quietly.

Raynor frowned deeply "Zeratul…" He glared at the Protoss.

The Dark Prelate facepalmed before sending to Raynor and only Raynor "do you really expect me to kill the one I told you must survive for this sector to be saved?" The others only saw Zeratul glaring at Raynor for a moment before the man looked toward Kerrigan, who nodded stonily. He stood up and walked out of the mess hall, looking back one last time before he made it out the door.

The mess hall fell silent as Sarah Kerrigan stood up, her spine-like hair rippling slightly, and walked to a relatively empty space in the Mess Hall, the area before the entrance to the kitchen. "Zeratul… If you're going to kill me, do it. I… I don't deserve to live for what I did to your kind and my own." Sarah waited for the Dark Prelate standing before her to, before she could even see him move, bring out his blade and separate her head from her body, or perhaps slash diagonally across her or even vertically through her. Nothing happened however, other than Zeratul mentally chuckling.

"Merely the fact that you say these things are an indication that whatever possessed you the past years is no longer controlling you, friend Kerrigan, you are no longer, as I said, the 'concubine of the Zerg'" Zeratul's eyes twinkled merrily as he shook his head "there is only one thing we must do before the Protoss race can forgive you."

Sarah Kerrigan was amazed by the mercy he had shown her "What is it? What is it you require of me?"

"I need you to give me full access to your memories, so that I may share them with the other Protoss and make them understand that you are fully human, no longer the Queen of Blades."

Raynor came back through the door at the same moment that Kerrigan recoiled in fear for a moment before relaxing again. "I… yes, I'll do it." She accepted before Raynor could open his mouth.

"Sarah, you don't have to do this…"

Sarah fixed him with a stare "No, I need to face what I did." She shook her head sadly "Let's go to an empty cargo bay, I can't afford damaging the Hyperion's equipment."

"I'm going with you." Raynor fell in line behind them at that, and the crew watched in silent respect as they left the Mess Hall. As soon as the door shut, the room filled with excited squeals at the sheer fluff between Raynor and Kerrigan, yes, squeals, even from some of the men, though one Tychus Findlay hid his behind an armoured glove wiping his mouth.

* * *

A/N: To anyone who hasn't caught on quite yet, the last two chapters and this one have names referring to Lord of the Rings, just as the Safe Haven mission's 2 optional accomplishments are references to it.

Now go read SupCom: the Thirteenth (already started posting as of Jan 19, 2011), Mass Effect: Supreme Redemption, and WorldWar: Supreme Balance, most likely put up in that order, though they will be roughly parallel in timeline, so updates will be scattered for a while.

I'm not marking this complete unless Heart of the Swarm is so radically different I decide a new title is needed for the continuation.


End file.
